Sweet as Honey and Sugar - Chapter 19:
From halfway up the mountain to the summit, the sun was already sinking into dusk.
Yun Xining sat in Jiang Xingzhou’s car, while He Qingrou shared a ride with Ye Xun.
Ye Xun said nothing the entire way, her face calm and unreadable. He Qingrou found it strange.
Ye Xun was quiet by nature, yes, but she usually got along with people.
She knew Yun Xining too, yet from start to finish, not a single word had passed
between them no glance, no greeting.
It didn’t make sense.
When they were getting into the cars earlier, Yun Xining had raised her eyes slightly toward
He Qingrou, clearly hinting that she should ride with her.
Before He Qingrou could move, Ye Xun had spoken first, her tone flat.
He Qingrou will come with me.
Yun Xining gave Ye Xun a lazy look from where she leaned against the car door,
but Ye Xun didn’t so much as glance her way. Without another word,
Yun Xining smiled faintly, looked toward He Qingrou, and got into the car. Director Zhang, reacting quickly, motioned for He Qingrou to go with Ye Xun.
He would handle the rest.
And so she did.
Ye Xun drove fast—too fast. The car surged forward, hugging tight turns with reckless ease,
until the others disappeared in the rearview mirror. He Qingrou clutched the door handle,
the scenery outside blurring into streaks of color. Her palms grew damp.
One wrong move and they’d be off the road.
When they finally stopped, she steadied her breath and said sincerely,
Thank you.
Ye Xun’s voice was cool. No need.
They stood waiting together. Jiang Xingzhou’s car arrived five or six minutes later.
He Qingrou glanced toward Yun Xining, who was chatting easily with Director Zhang,
laughing at something he said. Relief fluttered in He Qingrou’s chest until Yun Xining noticed her.
The smile vanished.
Director Zhang gave He Qingrou a discreet look, then smoothly stepped between them.
There’ll be a gathering tonight with the other companies, he told Yun Xining.
It’s starting soon. You’ve been busy all afternoon why not head over and relax a bit?
Jiang Xingzhou chimed in cheerfully. My sister’s there too.
She was just asking about you last night. Come on, let’s go see her.
Yun Xining’s expression softened. I haven’t seen Xingyun in a while.
What’s she been up to?
Flying all over, always running to Germany every few weeks, Jiang said with a grin.
You know how she is.
You Jiang siblings are doing well these days, Yun Xining said lightly.
Your sister’s really capable.
Jiang chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. Everyone said the same his sister was a powerhouse,
unlike him, the perpetual disappointment who only knew how to waste money.
They chatted idly as they walked. By the time they reached the event area,
the sun had slipped below the horizon, leaving the sky a deep gray-blue.
No clouds, only emptiness.
The woods around them were dense and endless, a dark mass stretching into nowhere.
From afar it looked eerie, almost alive. Whoever chose this place must’ve been out of their mind.
But the clearing itself was bright and lively, lights strung everywhere, grills set up across the
ground. Groups of people stood chatting, laughing, tending to sizzling skewers.
As soon as they arrived, Jiang Xingyun came over. Yun Xining waved the others off,
then went to speak with her privately.
Director Zhang sighed and turned to He Qingrou.
You’ve worked hard today.
He Qingrou shook her head. You’ve had the harder job.
He smiled. I’ll go check in with Director Lin. Go take a break.
She nodded, found an empty stool, and sat down. Her feet were throbbing,
even the arches cramped with every breath. Sitting eased the ache just a little.
She’d have to soak them in hot water later—or she wouldn’t be able to walk tomorrow.
Ye Xun had left earlier for something. Most of the others had rushed off to the food.
Only Jiang Xingzhou remained nearby.
She noticed for the first time that he was actually tall and broad-shouldered.
His slouching habit and easy grin usually hid it.
Now he sat beside her, fidgeting, his lips pressed tight as if trying to gather courage.
He Qingrou massaged her calf quietly, not pressing him.
Finally, Jiang sighed and said, almost helplessly, Yun-jie isn’t targeting you.
Don’t take it personally.
The words came out of nowhere.
He Qingrou blinked.
What?
If not her—then who?
Jiang sat down beside her, looking as though he meant to tell a long story.
Yun-jie and Ah Nai have had some disagreements, he began.
It might be because of that.
He Qingrou said nothing, her brows furrowing. What did Lin Nai have to do with any of this?
The night had deepened, the trees around them fading into shadow. Jiang’s voice grew quiet.
Yun-jie and Ah Nai grew up together. They used to be very close.
But last year, something happened at the company. Ah Nai had just gained a foothold and wanted
to push for reform developing independent tech, breaking away from German reliance.
I don’t really get the technical side, but she wanted the company to stand on its own.
That, He Qingrou understood. Most domestic car manufacturing still depended on foreign
technology. Lin Nai’s plan had been ambitious, but also forward-thinking.
Yun-jie didn’t agree, Jiang went on. They’d already sunk years of investment into
research with no results. She saw it as a waste. But Ah Nai got the board on her side.
Yun-jie was furious. That’s how the rift started.
He paused, sighed again. It only got worse.
Ah Nai eventually requested to transfer to the Nancheng branch. Yun-jie’s still angry.
She’s proud, but don’t hold it against her.
He Qingrou was surprised. She’d heard a different version that Lin Nai had been sent here,
not volunteered. Lin Nai wasn’t impulsive. There must’ve been more to it.
Especially since the two had grown up together it was hard to imagine their
bond breaking so easily.
Her mind wandered to the bidding war with Aneng Group. Lin Nai had won it,
yet the credit went to Yun Xining. And Ye Xun’s strange indifference toward Yun Xining…
The more she thought, the less simple it all seemed.
Jiang added softly, Yun-jie still cares about Ah Nai. She just can’t admit it.
She came here to persuade her to return to the main office. But Ah Nai’s not budging.
She even submitted a report last week to stay in Nancheng long-term.
Yun-jie was furious when she found out.
He hesitated, then glanced at He Qingrou. Ah Nai seems to care about you—
He stopped midway, words hanging.
About me what? He Qingrou asked.
Before he could answer, Ye Xun appeared, dropping off two cans of soda and a plate of grilled meat.
Pei Chengming sent these over.
She shot Jiang a sharp look. He stiffened, cursing himself for talking too much.
Standing abruptly, he forced a laugh. I’ll go help them.
And fled.
Ye Xun frowned and sat across from He Qingrou. She was quiet as always,
only glancing at her from the corner of her eye. Seeing no reaction,
she assumed Jiang hadn’t said anything stupid and pulled out her phone to play a game.
He Qingrou held the cold can tightly, Jiang’s words echoing in her mind.
Yun Xining came here to convince Lin Nai to return…
Lin Nai had been especially busy that day. Even by the time He Qingrou returned to her room,
she hadn’t seen her once.
By eleven, after soaking her feet, He Qingrou was ready to sleep.
She checked her phone no messages.
Lying back against her pillow, she typed a line asking if Lin Nai was still working, then deleted it.
She set her phone aside, turned off the light, and settled into the quiet dark.
Then her phone lit up.
A message.
Only two words.
Open the door.
He Qingrou froze. The room was silent, thick with night.
She typed hesitantly.
Something wrong?
The reply came instantly. Yes.
She slipped out of bed, barefoot in the dark, and cracked the door open.
Lin Nai stood outside, holding a pair of flat shoes.
He Qingrou hadn’t planned to let her in. But when she saw those shoes,
something inside her faltered. Her hand on the door trembled slightly.
Lin Nai didn’t speak. She just looked at her.
After a long silence, He Qingrou murmured, Come in.
She closed the door and reached to turn on the light, but the switch was near the bed.
She started toward it and was suddenly lifted off the ground.
Her breath caught, a cry rising in her throat. She bit it back, heart pounding.
Lin Nai’s strength was startling. She carried her to the bed, setting her down as if she weighed
nothing. He Qingrou instinctively tried to move away, but Lin Nai’s hand caught her ankle.
Her face burned crimson. Her voice came out in a whisper, trembling.
What are you doing…