Because of last night’s unexpected incident, the atmosphere between them the next day became extremely delicate. When Song Nanyin woke up, Liu Zhaoran had already finished washing up. She stood before the mirror in a white suit, head slightly bowed, adjusting her shirt.

Liu Zhaoran’s temperament and complexion were both well suited to white. The pure white that was so easily dirtied stayed spotless on her. She truly resembled a white lotus in a pond, a world away from the person who had lain on top of her last night, making her smell her scent and teasing her several times.

Seeing her tilt her head up as she fastened her shirt buttons one by one, the curve of her jawline delicate yet soft, Song Nanyin stiffly withdrew her gaze. Without greeting her or any intention of conversation, she rushed straight into the bathroom.

Song Nanyin didn’t take long and was soon ready as well. Since she was meeting the partner today, she didn’t choose a dress but picked out a fairly formal black suit.

The fitted waist of the jacket traced her slender waistline, and the pencil skirt hugged her full, pert rear. Both her side and back curves were extremely attractive, the kind worth taking in.

Liu Zhaoran let her gaze rest on Song Nanyin’s rear for quite a while, then raised an eyebrow slightly. Song Nanyin’s figure really was good enough to make people jealous. Liu Zhaoran wasn’t among the jealous. If pressed, she was probably the appreciative type.

“Rarely do I see Team Leader Song dress so formally. Very nice.” Liu Zhaoran walked over with her bag, saying with a smile, as if she had completely forgotten what had happened between them last night.

Seeing that she still had the nerve to come talk to her, Song Nanyin kept a cold face and only gave a faint “mm,” her unwillingness to engage plain to see.

Seeing that she was still angry, or rather, still too embarrassed to know how to act around her, Liu Zhaoran laughed inwardly but didn’t continue teasing. The two of them got into the car together and headed for the agreed-upon hotel.

The person in charge on the other side was Sheng Qi, the son of the boss of Hengsheng International, which was also one of WCRR’s longest-standing partner companies. Before this, Liu Zhaoran had never met Sheng Qi; presumably, Hengsheng’s boss had only assigned him to headquarters this year.

“Director Liu, I’ve heard so much about you. And this is?” Sheng Qi had arrived earlier than them. Seeing Liu Zhaoran and Song Nanyin walk in, he immediately stood up to greet them. Liu Zhaoran felt the man glance at her, then shift his attention to Song Nanyin behind her.

Liu Zhaoran was observant and caught the faint admiration hidden in the man’s eyes. Somehow, she felt a flicker of displeasure. She made a show of casually stepping to the side, blocking the man’s line of sight.

“Hello, General Manager Sheng. I’m the person in charge of these negotiations. This is Song Nanyin, the team leader of our company’s creative planning department.” Liu Zhaoran took over the conversation with a smile, and then both parties took their seats.

This meeting was mainly to discuss the timing and theme of the exhibition, as well as to finalize the effects and the number of sessions. Liu Zhaoran led the whole conversation, with Sheng Qi occasionally raising questions that she would then elaborate on.

Song Nanyin was in charge of the creative side of things. She only needed to grasp the main concepts and make plans, so in this kind of setting, she didn’t need to say much.

Added to that, because of what happened last night, Song Nanyin was still embarrassed. Every time she looked at Liu Zhaoran, she couldn’t help recalling the sensation of their bodies pressed together, the scent the other woman gave off, and the scorching, tingling heat of her touch.

Song Nanyin didn’t understand how Liu Zhaoran could still interact with her so calmly after something like that. At least, she herself couldn’t do it.

“Team Leader Song seems very quiet. Is the food not to your taste? I happen to know a few hotels with excellent cuisine. I could treat you to a meal.” At this point, Sheng Qi suddenly spoke up, directly addressing Song Nanyin.

Hearing his words, Song Nanyin snapped back from her daze. She looked up to see Sheng Qi across the table watching her with great enthusiasm. Song Nanyin had been spacing out the whole time and hadn’t caught Sheng Qi’s words or invitation, but Liu Zhaoran didn’t know that. To her, Song Nanyin seemed to be hesitating over whether to accept the invitation.

In this kind of setting, it wasn’t hard to see the purpose of such an invitation. Every time Liu Zhaoran saw Sheng Qi’s gaze land on Song Nanyin, she felt extremely uncomfortable.

That feeling was complex and vague, and she could hardly name the source of her displeasure. But it was genuinely there, and it genuinely affected Liu Zhaoran’s mood at this moment.

“Sorry, General Manager Sheng. Team Leader Song still has other work arrangements coming up, so I’m afraid she won’t have time to dine with you. Next time there’s a chance, I’ll be the host and make sure to have a few good drinks with you.”

Liu Zhaoran politely turned down Sheng Qi’s invitation, but her voice was pleasant and her expression sincere enough that Sheng Qi wasn’t displeased; in fact, he believed her explanation.

“Alright. Since Team Leader Song has work, I won’t keep you two. I hope this cooperation goes smoothly.” The meeting ended. Naturally, there was no real work afterward, just private time for the two of them.

“Team Leader Song, what are your plans next? The work in Langqi City is finished, but there’s still quite a bit of spare time. Do you want to return to Jiahai City, or stay in Langqi City for a few days?”

Liu Zhaoran could tell Song Nanyin wasn’t in a good state, or rather, she was still in a bad mood. As one of the parties involved, Liu Zhaoran could easily guess the reason. She felt that she had managed to provoke the Little Lion, and the other woman was still angry even after a whole night.

How to put it? With Song Nanyin’s bold-featured looks, a wordless, cold face did make her seem somewhat unapproachable, even giving off a deceptive impression of being “fierce.”

But in Liu Zhaoran’s eyes, an angry Song Nanyin was still a little lion made of paper. No poking needed; a gentle breath would blow her over.

“What’s there to stay here for? Let’s get back early and rest. Book tonight’s tickets.” Hearing Liu Zhaoran’s cheerful tone, Song Nanyin rolled her eyes internally.

She felt the other woman truly didn’t seem to care about last night at all. It had been so… awkward, and yet she was now getting along with her as if nothing had happened. So, in the end, was she the only one left feeling awkward?

Song Nanyin’s “retreat” was unexpected to Liu Zhaoran. She had originally thought the other woman’s personality wouldn’t be in such a hurry to leave. It seemed last night’s incident had indeed given Song Nanyin a “considerable” shock.

Seeing that she didn’t want to stay, Liu Zhaoran didn’t feel like staying on her own either. She simply booked tickets for both of them and went back to the hotel to pack and leave.

On the return flight, Liu Zhaoran’s luggage was much more than when she had arrived, because she had bought quite a few souvenirs for her colleagues, even purchasing two extra large suitcases to hold them. Compared to her, Song Nanyin had only bought gifts for the members of the entire planning team.

“Team Leader Song, I’m a bit sleepy. Wake me when we get there.” Liu Zhaoran looked tired as soon as she boarded the plane. The high-intensity meetings over these past few days had indeed been exhausting, and in every one of those meetings, Liu Zhaoran was inevitably the one who spoke the most. Her voice had even gone hoarse; if not for the throat lozenges, she could barely speak properly.

Of course, those reasons were secondary. Liu Zhaoran could see that Song Nanyin didn’t want to talk to her, and constantly making the first move to start a conversation was not her style.

“Oh, okay.” Song Nanyin’s response was still flat, but her tone was much gentler than in the morning. Perhaps the shame had shattered completely and then slowly gathered itself back together, easing some of her awkwardness around Liu Zhaoran.

Through this cooperation, Song Nanyin found that Liu Zhaoran was probably the kind of person heaven fed by hand. This woman had been some top student in medical school, then inexplicably switched to the advertising industry and still managed to thrive.

The comparison didn’t infuriate Song Nanyin to death; instead, it deepened her understanding of Liu Zhaoran. This Black-Hearted Lotus did have some real ability. If only she weren’t such a scheming White Lotus and didn’t always work against her.

“Then I won’t wake you when they serve the meal either.”

“Mm.”

Liu Zhaoran acknowledged her, closed her eyes, and leaned back in her seat to rest. The cabin lights were off, and the whole space became dark and quiet, actually very suitable for a short rest on a flight.

Bored, Song Nanyin ran through the meeting documents and materials from these past days in her head. At that moment, her shoulder suddenly sank. She turned her head in the dim light and saw Liu Zhaoran leaning against her shoulder. The woman’s long, slender lashes fluttered slightly, her closed lips gently pressed together, pink and moist.

Song Nanyin tilted her head and watched her for a while, murmuring inwardly, She really is quite pretty, and didn’t push her away. She cleared her throat and instinctively glanced around. In first class, there was only one flight attendant, who wasn’t looking at them.

Song Nanyin straightened her back so Liu Zhaoran could lean more comfortably, and even deliberately unfolded the blanket at her side, gently draping it over her.

Song Nanyin’s attention was entirely on keeping her movements soft, so she didn’t notice that, as she moved, the person leaning against her shoulder hooked up the corner of her lips.

The flight was short. An hour and a half later, the two returned to Jiahai City.

“Hey, I’ll come pick up my things tomorrow. I’m going back to my own place tonight.” At the airport exit, Song Nanyin thought it over and voiced the idea on her mind.

Actually, she had been thinking of going home for the past few days. After all, Liu Zhaoran’s research seemed to have come to an end for now, and the two of them still hadn’t found a way to resolve her strange transformation. But now that Song Nanyin was certain she wouldn’t turn into a man because of it, she felt much more at ease.

She felt her relationship with Liu Zhaoran wasn’t close enough to live together indefinitely, and what had happened at the hotel last night made her even more determined to move back.

Song Nanyin was sure Liu Zhaoran must also be looking forward to her leaving. What she didn’t know was that, after those words, Liu Zhaoran’s back stiffened, and her usual expression suddenly turned cold.

The woman’s dark eyes held a hint of displeasure. Even Liu Zhaoran herself didn’t know where this intense discomfort came from. Every time she thought of Song Nanyin leaving, the displeasure in her heart became unusually pronounced.

Setting aside Song Nanyin’s unique identity as an Alpha, she didn’t want Song Nanyin to leave for other reasons either. Her motives and reasons were unclear, but one thing Liu Zhaoran was certain of: at least for now, she wouldn’t allow Song Nanyin to move out.

“Team Leader Song, actually, I still have a rather important study that hasn’t been finished, and the results are quite significant. I suggest you stay a few more days to be safe. Or is it that my home makes you uncomfortable, so you’re in such a hurry to leave?”

Liu Zhaoran turned back, a hint of guilt on her face. She rarely looked at others with such an expression; she even seemed quite at a loss. The corners of her eyes drooped, making her upturned lashes slant downward too.

Liu Zhaoran had classic phoenix eyes, a rather alluring eye shape. But because of her composed demeanor and her smile, people tended to overlook that allure and only notice the softness.

And now, she deliberately lowered her gaze. Once her smile was gone, those dark eyes carried a trace of sadness and self-blame, as if she truly were distressed over Song Nanyin’s departure.

Seeing her like this, Song Nanyin opened her lips helplessly, not knowing what to say. She thought Liu Zhaoran should be happy to see her go. After all, the two of them were so at odds; once the research was done, who knows how delighted she must be that Song Nanyin was leaving.

But now, when she said she wanted to go home, this woman seemed genuinely upset? And… a little reluctant? Song Nanyin felt her eyes must be playing tricks on her to see such emotions in the other woman’s gaze.

“It’s just that I think, since the research is done, it’s more appropriate for me to go back.” Song Nanyin said in a small voice, her stance already weakening. But Liu Zhaoran put on an even more submissive attitude than hers.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t explain the full process of the research clearly. Team Leader Song, your condition in every aspect isn’t completely stable yet. Could you please stay a few more days? I’ll improve the things you find uncomfortable. Tonight, when we get back, I’ll cook your favorite dishes. After a good night’s rest, we’ll start again tomorrow. Is that alright?”

Liu Zhaoran tilted her head up slightly. She was glad she was wearing flat shoes, which made her shorter than Song Nanyin, who was in high heels. And the motion of looking up would subtly add to her air of weakness.

Liu Zhaoran was fully aware of Song Nanyin’s softening, and she could see that her words had stirred the calm lake of the other woman’s heart. To be honest, what Liu Zhaoran said was three parts true and seven parts false. It was true that she didn’t want Song Nanyin to leave; only the show of weakness was a lie.

She knew very well that she had far too many ways to keep someone in her grip, yet she had chosen the most troublesome method for herself. Showing weakness. She hadn’t done this in a long time. But curiously, Liu Zhaoran didn’t dislike the feeling, especially when she used it on Song Nanyin.

She wielded it expertly and smoothly. Liu Zhaoran could even predict that Song Nanyin would jump into the circle she had drawn for her in the very next moment. The corners of her mouth began to curl up, and Liu Zhaoran forcibly held it back.

“Forget it, I’ll go back then. Anyway, at my own place I can’t be bothered to cook. It’s not that I’m unhappy with anything. It’s just that you get up too early and always wake me up.”

Seeing Liu Zhaoran like this, Song Nanyin put aside the idea of leaving for now. There was nothing she could do; since the research wasn’t finished, she could only go back with her. It definitely wasn’t because she felt sorry for Liu Zhaoran that she had said that.

“Mm, then I’ll trouble Team Leader Song to endure a few more days in my home.” Liu Zhaoran said softly, turning to walk toward the parking lot. She lowered her head, the corners of her lips curling upward.