Chapter 325 - 258: Just One Glance

Ni Bingyan rarely got this carried away. To be honest, she didn’t really have any experience handling it.

Before she arrived, she thought dressing up as a delivery person to deliver a gift would be a huge surprise, incredibly romantic!

But once she got there, she saw that everyone, including the receptionist, was dressed to the nines, looking like corporate elites.

Especially the business partner Sang Yuan was currently meeting with—she looked polished and beautiful, had her own entourage, and a commanding presence. And the way she looked at Sang Yuan... it didn’t seem quite right.

The moment she saw that Miss Liu, it was as if a bell went off in Ni Bingyan’s head with a DING, shocking her to her senses!

She had long suspected that a man as outstanding as Sang Yuan would have admirers, but this was her first time meeting one face-to-face.

And under circumstances like these, of all times.

’It feels like the enemy is in full battle gear, while I’m stuck in the starter outfit. I feel so defenseless!’

She reasoned that she’d arrived a bit early, before Sang Yuan was done with work.

’If the employees see their boss mixing romance with work, won’t they start doing the same?’

’Company discipline would fall apart.’

Having successfully convinced herself, she decided to slip away quietly and pretend she’d never been there.

She’d come back later to pick Sang Yuan up from work, fully prepared for battle.

’Love is a battlefield, after all!’

Although she knew that any man who could be stolen away wasn’t worth holding onto, Ni Bingyan still decided she had to put up a fight!

’If you try your best and things don’t work out, that’s just bad luck or poor judgment in choosing a partner. But if you don’t even try, and things go south, that’s a problem with your attitude.’

’Next time, I don’t care if it’s Miss Liu or some Miss Li, I’ll unleash my full presence, stand right next to Sang Yuan, and greet her with a serene smile.’

"Hello. I’m Ni Bingyan."

’Heh.’

’Got to absolutely nail that "official girlfriend" vibe!’

The scene she imagined sent a shiver through her. Ni Bingyan hid her face with the bouquet, wanting to duck behind a potted plant.

’I’m not prepared. A strategic retreat is nothing to be ashamed of. I’ll just wait for Sang Yuan and his group to leave, then I’ll make my escape.’

However, she had only taken two steps when Sang Yuan stopped short and glanced her way.

A single glance was all it took. Ignoring the fact that his clients were still there, he started running toward her.

The polite, professional smile on his face instantly vanished, replaced by a grin that bloomed like a spring flower. Everyone could feel his delight.

From clear across the lobby, she heard him shout excitedly, "Honey!"

She was so bundled up, yet he’d recognized her with a single glance. The realization sent a sweet warmth through Ni Bingyan’s heart.

’Even in a surging crowd, my eyes see only you.’

’The more I think about it, the more romantic it seems! I can’t take it, I just can’t!’

But when she saw everyone staring at her, she panicked, suddenly forgetting how to walk.

"Haha!"

Seeing her trying to hide her face behind the bouquet in a fluster, Sang Yuan couldn’t help but laugh out loud. He rushed over and pulled off her face mask.

He knew Ni Bingyan to his very bones. He didn’t need to see her face; he could recognize her from her walk, from her figure alone. The thought of how embarrassing it would be if he were mistaken never even crossed his mind.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Don’t crush the flowers!"

Seeing how happy he was, Ni Bingyan couldn’t help but break into a huge grin herself.

’This is the first time I’ve ever given him flowers. We have to take a picture to remember this, right?’

’If they get all smushed, how are we supposed to take a picture later?’

"Hahaha!"

After pulling off her mask and seeing her smile, Sang Yuan’s laughter grew even louder.

She rarely showed up at his company so openly. This must mean her feelings for him were changing.

It made him feel like he was finally seeing the sun after a long storm.

Unable to contain his joy, Sang Yuan simply hooked his hands under her arms and lifted her into the air.

"Careful, careful! Don’t drop the gift! The flowers! The flowers! There’s something inside the flowers!"

Seeing that he was about to spin her around, a blushing Ni Bingyan slapped his arm, not even daring to raise her voice.

A moment later, once Sang Yuan had calmed down, Ni Bingyan cleared her throat and regained her footing.

She straightened her hair as she handed the bouquet to him.

Sang Yuan glanced down and immediately spotted a small, red velvet box nestled among the flowers. He was about to open it when he remembered he still hadn’t seen his clients out.

"Hang on, let me just wrap a few things up, then I’ll be off."

His composure regained, Sang Yuan’s professional smile returned. He took Ni Bingyan’s hand and led her toward the entrance.

The lobby was bustling with people. The moment Sang Yuan started running, a few quick-thinking individuals had already started recording on their phones. The couple saw this but made no move to stop them.

It wasn’t as if their relationship was some shameful secret. If they were going to be public, they couldn’t be afraid of an audience.

When they reached Miss Liu, Sang Yuan cheerfully made the introductions.

"My apologies for the delay, everyone. My girlfriend just got back from a business trip, and I got a little carried away, haha! Come, let me introduce you. This is my girlfriend, Ni Bingyan."

After introducing Bingyan, he then enthusiastically introduced Miss Liu to her.

"This is Mr. Liu of Happy Valley. We’ve just reached a partnership agreement."

Sang Yuan was never overly familiar with women, and he never discussed work with them one-on-one. His introduction to Ni Bingyan was perfectly frank and open.

Ni Bingyan shrewdly noticed that the woman only let a smile slowly form on her face after glancing at her and Sang Yuan’s clasped hands. She then politely extended a hand.

"Hello! My name is Liu Yuanyuan."

At this point, it was a matter of not losing face even if she lost the fight. Ni Bingyan gave a faint smile and shook Liu Yuanyuan’s hand with equal politeness.

"Hello, I’m Ni Bingyan. My apologies, I seem to have arrived a little early and interrupted your work."

"Not at all, not at all. You have perfect timing. We were just finishing up, and I was about to leave."

Miss Liu forced a smile, exchanged a few hurried words, and then bid her farewell.

It’s not that she was a timid woman. If she were, she wouldn’t have sent Sang Yuan a copy of her newly published book last year, nor would she have gone to such great lengths to partner with Yuan Yan Venture Capital.

It was just that when Ni Bingyan stood before her, smiling and extending a hand with the undeniable air of the rightful hostess, she just wanted to be anywhere else.

Some people are just like that—so beautiful it’s almost unfair. Just standing next to them is enough to make anyone else feel like they’ve already lost.

Even with Ni Bingyan in a delivery driver’s uniform, a little yellow helmet, and plain white sneakers, the moment Liu Yuanyuan saw people taking photos, the thought of appearing in the same shot with her online, inviting endless comparisons, was enough to make her own meticulously planned outfit feel like insufficient armor.

Liu Yuanyuan got into her car and took the bottle of water her assistant handed her. She squeezed it so hard the plastic crackled, CRINKLE, CRUNCH. In the end, though, she didn’t say a word.

A socialite’s pride wouldn’t allow her to display such an ugly, jealous fit.

Trying to steal someone’s man behind their back was one thing; doing it right in the "homeowner’s" face required some consideration for her own dignity.

Ni Bingyan had no idea what an impact she’d had on the other woman. Seeing Sang Yuan staring at her and laughing nonstop, she felt quite embarrassed.

"Stop laughing! I know this idea wasn’t very original..."

"How could you say that? It was incredibly thoughtful. I felt it. Come on, let’s stop by my office first. I need to grab a few things before we leave."

Standing in the lobby being gawked at like a monkey in a zoo was not a pleasant feeling, so Ni Bingyan quickly followed him.

Once in the office, Sang Yuan set down the bouquet and then went to pick up the decorative pine bonsai from the high table by the glass wall.

"Do you have to be so dramatic?"

One wall of Sang Yuan’s office was made of glass. When she saw him place the roses on that same high table, Ni Bingyan couldn’t help but laugh into her hands.

"What’s so dramatic about it? Tomorrow, I’m having these made into preserved flowers to keep forever. But tonight, I’m going to let all those single losers who do nothing but work overtime get a good, long, jealous look! You have no idea... I’m over thirty years old, and this is the first time a girlfriend has ever given me roses. You can’t imagine how happy I am!"

His words made Ni Bingyan feel a pang of guilt.

’As a girlfriend, I guess I’m kind of failing.’

"I promise I’ll give you flowers more often from now on."

Seeing how earnest she was, Sang Yuan gave a soft "Hmph." He opened the box, swapped out his cufflinks for the new ones, and then said with mock arrogance:

"To make up for your past negligence, you’re treating me to dinner tonight."

Knowing he was just teasing her, Ni Bingyan smiled softly. "Okay!"

But then Sang Yuan suddenly declared, "Sigh! I’m the prime example of how to be a kept man with style!"

Ni Bingyan completely lost it, laughing so hard that tears streamed down her face.