Chapter 99

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After hanging up the phone, Su Jinglan threw off the covers and got out of bed. She grabbed the robe from the corner by the bed, slipped it on, and loosely tied the belt. After washing up and changing into casual clothes, she drove to the company.

She hit the morning rush hour traffic, with cars jammed everywhere on the road. Taking advantage of a red light, Su Jinglan checked her phone. The message she had sent to Ning Jiuwei still hadn’t gotten a reply.

The drive from home to the company was only twenty minutes, but it dragged on for Su Jinglan like an eternity. She pulled into the underground parking lot and spotted Ning Jiuwei’s car in the neighboring spot. She hurried toward the elevators.

Assistant Lin was waiting outside the elevator doors. As soon as they opened, she informed Su Jinglan of Ning Jiuwei’s whereabouts. “Designer Ning isn’t waiting for you in the office. She went to the Chairman’s with Secretary Zhao.”

Su Jinglan, who had started to step out, immediately retreated back inside. Assistant Lin followed her into the elevator, and they headed upstairs together.

The Chairman’s Office was on the top floor as well. After the elevator doors opened, the path split in two directions—one led to the President’s Office. Su Jinglan’s brows furrowed tightly as she strode forward at a rapid pace.

“President Su, the Chairman is meeting with a guest,” Secretary Zhao said, blocking her path in accordance with the Chairman’s orders and keeping her away from the Chairman’s Office. “Please wait until they’re finished before going in.”

Secretary Zhao stood at 1.88 meters tall, with a refined and gentle appearance, but he could take on ten men single-handedly in a fight. Lin Fengmian knew him well enough to have no fear. She seized his wrist without hesitation and smiled amiably at him. “Our President Su wants to go in right now.”

Su Jinglan’s gaze sharpened coldly, and Secretary Zhao coweringly stepped aside, clearing the way.

The Chairman had given further instructions: if Su Jinglan insisted on entering, they were not to stop her.

Before Su Jinglan could go in, the door to the Chairman’s Office opened from the inside. Their eyes met, and Ning Jiuwei smiled. She politely closed the door securely for the Chairman before teasing Su Jinglan. “President Su, you got here awfully fast.”

She had timed Su Jinglan’s arrival perfectly—it was only a few minutes later than expected.

Su Jinglan said nothing, but she secretly breathed a sigh of relief deep inside. It wasn’t convenient to talk outside the Chairman’s Office, so she led Ning Jiuwei to her own office. She locked the door behind them and, with no one else around, finally let her emotions show.

“Aren’t you supposed to wait for me in the office? What did my dad say to you?”

“President Su seems awfully anxious.”

Ning Jiuwei smiled calmly, savoring the rare flicker of anxiety in Su Jinglan’s eyes. Su Jinglan reined in her feelings quickly, curving her lips into a matching smile. Her inscrutable gaze settled on Ning Jiuwei’s face.

In the past, Su Jinglan’s eyes had been hard to read. But now, with the bond of their feelings between them, Ning Jiuwei could discern concern and worry in any look she gave.

“What did Chairman Su want to discuss with Designer Ning?” Su Jinglan switched to formal titles, watching closely for any shift in Ning Jiuwei’s expression. “Does it have anything to do with me?”

“A little.” She hadn’t taken a close look at the President’s Office in Group Headquarters last time. Now, on her second visit, Ning Jiuwei examined Su Jinglan’s true workspace.

Her gaze had just landed on the room divider when Su Jinglan cupped her face with both hands and turned it toward her own. “You can tour my office anytime you like. For now, keep your eyes on me and give me a full report of the conversation.”

Reporting was something for subordinates to superiors. Ning Jiuwei dropped her smile, removed the hands from her face, and assumed her professional designer demeanor. “Chairman Su asked me where I slept last night and what my relationship is with you, President Su.”

“What did you tell him?”

“I stayed overnight at President Su’s house. We’re just colleagues.” Ning Jiuwei stood to leave. “President Su, I have work to do, so I’ll head back now.”

As she turned to go, Su Jinglan wrapped her arms around Ning Jiuwei from behind. The embrace was far too intimate for mere colleagues. She rested her chin on Ning Jiuwei’s shoulder and nuzzled it lightly. “Is that really what you said?”

“What else?” Ning Jiuwei’s heart tingled with a delicious itch as the hot breath ghosted over her hair. She turned her head slightly and asked Su Jinglan right back. “What does President Su think I told Chairman Su?”

Ning Jiuwei pried the hands from her waist and reminded her, “President Su, please compose yourself.”

Ning Jiuwei’s attitude didn’t feel like a joke. Su Jinglan studied her intently, sensing clearly that Ning Jiuwei was putting distance between them.

What on earth had been said to make Ning Jiuwei deny being her girlfriend? To refuse her embrace?

“Su Jinglan.” A familiar, heartfelt smile lit up Ning Jiuwei’s eyes. She abandoned her distant posture and pulled Su Jinglan into a hug of her own. “You believe whatever I say, don’t you?”

Out of Su Jinglan’s sight, Ning Jiuwei lowered her gaze, her smile brimming with tenderness.

The fleeting sadness that had crossed Su Jinglan’s face twisted at Ning Jiuwei’s heart.

“I believe you.” Their body heat rose in the close embrace. Su Jinglan’s heart lodged in her throat as she steeled herself for rejection. “Ning Jiuwei, no matter what you do to me, I’ll accept it.”

“Including breaking up?”

Su Jinglan fell silent for a long while. She suppressed the tears welling in her eyes and replied to Ning Jiuwei, “Mm.”

It felt as though a thousand-pound boulder was pressing down on her chest. Ning Jiuwei suddenly found it hard to breathe, that suffocating sensation she hadn’t felt in ages returning to gnaw at her tender heart, tearing it to bloody shreds bit by bit.

“You’ve long been prepared to part from me, haven’t you?” Ning Jiuwei’s voice was soft, carrying a faint, almost imperceptible laugh.

Su Jinglan remained silent, offering no response.

“That makes sense. You’ve already had me completely. Once the novelty wears off, I suppose I hold no more appeal for President Su.” Ning Jiuwei let go and turned to leave without a hint of reluctance.

The design drawing she’d been working on midway through had lost all inspiration, as if she’d suddenly reached the end of her creative well. Ning Jiuwei spread out a fresh sheet of paper and began sketching with her pencil.

Her simple strokes depicted the ruins of a shattered city wall. Ning Jiuwei crumpled the paper into a ball and tossed it into the wastebasket, confirming to herself that she still possessed the technical skill to draw—she had simply lost the ability to create.

This city wall sketch was something she’d drawn before as practice.

She could recall old designs but couldn’t conceive a single new one. It was all because of Su Jinglan.

Ning Jiuwei restrained herself from glancing toward the opposite office. The privacy mode on the glass walls blocked the view but couldn’t quell her urge to peek. Several times she lifted her gaze, and finally, she gave in and turned off the privacy mode.

The office across from hers was empty. Su Jinglan hadn’t returned.

“Little Tan, I’m heading out for a bit.” Ning Jiuwei called over Tan Yushu and informed her of her whereabouts. “If Director Zhang asks, just say I’m off to see Miss Ye.”

Director Zhang rarely inquired about Designer Ning’s movements, so Tan Yushu thought nothing of it and dutifully noted the instruction. “Don’t worry, Designer Ning. If anything comes up at the company, I’ll let you know.”

Ning Jiuwei drove away from the company alone.

No sooner had she left than Su Jinglan arrived at her office. Staring at the empty Chief Designer’s Office, Su Jinglan called Ning Jiuwei.

The phone rang but hung up automatically. Su Jinglan then tried a WeChat voice call.

Assistant Tan noticed the situation in the hallway and approached Su Jinglan with some trepidation. “President Su, are you looking for Designer Ning?”

Director Zhang hadn’t sought out Designer Ning, but President Su had.

Su Jinglan ended the voice call. “Do you know where she went?”

“Designer Ning told me before she left—she’s gone to see Miss Ye,” Assistant Tan replied. Fearing President Su might not know which Miss Ye, she provided full details on the name and address. “Miss Ye Sinian, one of Designer Ning’s clients, at Silver Prosperity Building.”

Assistant Tan relayed the floor and studio name to Su Jinglan. Su Jinglan listened impassively and then departed.

Her expression remained calm, but inside, her emotions churned like a stormy sea. She followed Ning Jiuwei’s trail straight to Silver Prosperity Building.

The parking lot at the building was crowded on a workday. Ning Jiuwei circled twice before spotting a spot and waiting for the car ahead to pull out completely. She then slid into the space.

It was right by the main entrance, just steps from the elevators upstairs.

Ning Jiuwei didn’t get out right away. She unbuckled the seatbelt that had been digging into her and leaned back in the seat, watching the people and cars streaming by on the road to steady her turbulent emotions.

Once her feelings had calmed, the idea of meeting Miss Ye faded away.

She checked her phone; the missed calls and unread messages from Su Jinglan turned to read. After a moment of distraction, Ning Jiuwei looked away from Su Jinglan’s profile and pulled up her chat with Shi Wanxu.

She hadn’t messaged Shi Wanxu today, so the conversation had been pushed down by others. Ning Jiuwei hesitated briefly before sending her a message.

A black business van pulled up at the main entrance of the building. As Ning Jiuwei glanced up casually after sending the message, she spotted the license plate at once. A familiar long leg stepped out from the slowly opening electric doors, followed by the person who made her heart pound wildly.

She had anticipated Su Jinglan might come looking for her, so she’d deliberately shared her whereabouts with Assistant Tan.

And Su Jinglan had indeed come.

Watching Su Jinglan enter Silver Prosperity Building, Ning Jiuwei called her.

Su Jinglan answered instantly. “Where are you?”

Through the car windows, Ning Jiuwei watched Su Jinglan from afar, her gentle voice steady and calm. “At the entrance.”

An elevator arriving from upstairs opened in front of Su Jinglan, spilling out a boisterous group of people. The noisy clamor nearly drowned out the voice on the phone. Unable to hear clearly, and feeling some inexplicable pull, Su Jinglan instinctively glanced toward the building’s entrance.

From the side parking spot, the license plate wasn’t visible, and the side windows had anti-pry film. Su Jinglan’s gaze swept the entrance and settled on the prominent standing emblem of the black sedan.

The eye-catching Mercedes emblem—she was certain it was Ning Jiuwei’s car.

“Are you here to find me?” Ning Jiuwei asked.

Su Jinglan walked toward the Mercedes with the standing emblem. “Yes.”

The car window rolled down halfway, revealing the person inside. Her judgment had been spot on; it was indeed Ning Jiuwei’s car.

Ning Jiuwei had said on the phone, “I’m waiting for you in the car.”

The interior of the car gradually warmed. Su Jinglan settled into the passenger seat and tentatively reached for Ning Jiuwei’s hand, but Ning Jiuwei dodged aside, deftly avoiding the touch.

An invisible chasm stretched between them, its cause unspoken but perfectly understood.

Su Jinglan stretched out her long arm and firmly grasped Ning Jiuwei’s hand, refusing to let her pull away. “Ning Jiuwei, you have to take responsibility for me.”

Having tasted her once, Su Jinglan could no longer bear to let go. She tightened her grip, her gaze burning with intensity as she stared at the woman before her. “I never even considered separating from you. You’re the one who’s been thinking about it.”

“President Su, you’re really good at shirking responsibility.” The scorching pad of her thumb seared Ning Jiuwei’s skin, melting the defenses she had so carefully built. She realized she was growing less and less able to resist Su Jinglan—a single sentence could upend her emotions. “I just didn’t admit our relationship in front of Chairman Su. He’s your dad; it’s more appropriate for you to bring it up.”

“I’ll take you home to meet my parents. Are you willing?” Su Jinglan asked with respect, then promptly made the decision for her. “Tonight it is. We’ll have dinner tonight, so you can chat properly with your future father-in-law—right in front of me.”

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