Dead silence.
The car fell into absolute dead silence.
The moment Tang Ning finished speaking, Jian Wei felt her entire body turn ice-cold. She trembled as she held the phone, holding her breath, not daring to make a sound. Even through the electromagnetic waves, she could practically feel President Jiang’s apocalyptic rage.
After a long pause, Jiang Linye spoke in a low, heavy voice: “Jian Wei.”
“President Jiang, I’m here!”
“No need to pass the phone to Tang Ning anymore.” Jiang Linye stood by the window. Outside, pine trees swayed in emerald green under warm sunlight, but his eyes darkened bit by bit. “Ask her for me.”
Jian Wei: “?”
“Does she still want to get out of bed or not.”
Jian Wei: “…”
Of course Jian Wei didn’t dare ask her boss such a demonic question.
Tang Ning was so hyped up that she hadn’t even noticed Jian Wei had taken a call from her cheap husband in the car. Only when the car stopped at the company entrance and she hopped out did she turn back with a smile: “Who were you talking to just now?”
It was a rare perfect day—sunlight abundant, shadows crisp and slanted.
The instant she looked back, the wind lifted her long hair, framing an endless stretch of blue sky behind her.
Jian Wei blanked for a single second, suddenly unable to remember the last time she’d seen her boss smile like that.
Tang Ning noticed her spacing out and paused mid-step: “Jian Wei?”
“S-sorry! That was President Jiang just now.”
The ice-cold boss replied without missing a beat: “Oh, okay then—no need to tell me what was said.”
“…”
Tang Ning took a couple steps forward. Seeing the bright, gleaming company lobby, her emotions were already surging: “But why is your phone still ringing?”
Jian Wei hurriedly pulled it out: “Sorry, I’ll turn the sound off right now.”
It was the company’s internal employee group chat. In the short time she’d been on the phone, it had already blown up with 99+ messages. Jian Wei tried to clear them, accidentally tapped the little red notification dot instead, and the messages flew upward—scrolling straight to the very first one.
Tang · Modern-Day Leeuwenhoek · Microscope Girl · Ning only glanced casually and caught a string of them:
[Quick quick quick, everyone be on high alert—boss is coming to the company!!]
[Didn’t she get in a car accident? How’s she back so fast? Shouldn’t she rest a couple more days?!]
[Fuck, you forgot our boss is Scrooge McDuck? The universe reboots before Tang Ning takes a break]
[I saw her car—put your phones away NOW, stop yapping!!]
Tang Ning’s footsteps slowed slightly. She asked in a very gentle tone: “Weiwei, what kind of group is this?”
Jian Wei almost dropped to her knees: “…”
Mom, terrifying—she’s already using the cutesy repeated nickname!
“It’s… just an internal employee mini-group, mostly your other assistants and some department managers…” Jian Wei licked her lips nervously, explaining frantically. “We made it for fun, a-and President Tang, actually a lot of people in the group are your fangirls…”
“Oh?” The president suddenly became interested. “My fangirls? Then I definitely need to take a look.”
Jian Wei: “…”
With a forced smile, she showed her boss the employees’ sneaky behind-the-scenes roasting:
[Ooh ooh ooh she’s here!! Our Ningning is still as glamorous as ever—even with that bald patch in her bangs she’s… wait, hold on, am I dreaming? Why did she come to work dressed like THAT today?]
[President Tang isn’t wearing makeup?! Is the Earth actually exploding?]
[But real talk, boss looks amazing even bare-faced!]
[Why isn’t she coming in? Standing at the door for what—waiting for love?]
[Wait sisters, quick divination—today is a black-path凶日 (inauspicious day). Haven’t you noticed President Tang came in smiling? Someone’s probably getting fired. Place your bets, who is it]
[Blind guess: poor little Weiwei. No one in the group has pissed off Tang Ning lately, but a life assistant? Hard to say]
[Weiwei poor baby +1]
[Weiwei poor baby +2]
…
Jian Wei: “…”
Tang Ning turned her benevolent gaze to the group name:
“TJ Sugar Mama Wellness Club – Share Blessings, Share Hardships, or GTFO”
She said decisively: “Add me to the group.”
“President Tang…”
“Don’t make the president repeat herself, or I’ll have to flash an evil charming smile.”
“…”
Jian Wei mentally collapsed in tears.
Tang Ning received the invite, put her phone down with satisfaction, and strode into the company lobby.
Red carpet rolled out underfoot. Two lines of black-suited staff stood in welcome formation. The lobby lights dazzled her eyes. Before her pupils could fully adjust, a thunderous, synchronized shout hit her:
“Welcome, President—”
Tang Ning: “…”
Even though she’d mentally prepared, she was still a little shell-shocked by this early-2000s idol drama energy.
The rest of the company didn’t know about her amnesia. She took a deep breath, kept her face expressionless, channeled Jiang Linye’s signature cold aura, and strode past them with feigned dignity.
At the very back were her other assistants—Jian Wei had warned her beforehand.
She didn’t glance at them much, heading straight for the private elevator. The assistants, clearly used to her “no one exists but me” vibe, fell in step behind her and started reporting pre-accident pending items:
“The Asia Pet Expo invitation arrived in your email yesterday. It’s next Wednesday. We’ve already arranged TJ’s booth. Your detailed itinerary will be finalized by next Monday.”
“We re-inspected the malfunctioning feeder—no lethal defects found in the device itself. PR is trying to contact Fu Caicai, but she hasn’t responded yet.”
“The new product R&D meeting will be held in—”
“Wait.” Tang Ning called a verbal halt but didn’t slow her steps. “Fu Caicai hasn’t responded?”
“Correct.”
Tang Ning thought for half a second: “Go to the official website and Weibo right now and post an announcement. Until the cause of the accident is fully investigated, this feeder model is temporarily pulled from sale. If any users want a refund, process full unconditional refunds immediately.”
“Put the company contact info front and center. Tell them they can call 24/7 to inquire about product issues. If any other users experience similar feeder malfunctions, we welcome them to supervise the company together.”
“Invite a third-party organization to join the investigation. If we don’t have results by next Wednesday, the product manager can personally place their resignation letter on my desk at 7 a.m. Thursday morning.”
“It’s already been three days since the incident and they were still waiting for me to come back and decide? After this is over, replace the entire current PR team.”
“One last thing—”
Tang Ning took a deep breath and stopped in front of the elevator.
She turned around. Several people were instantly pinned by her aura, subconsciously holding their breath in perfect unison.
The next second, they saw:
The arrogant, ice-cold President Tang raised her phone expressionlessly and enunciated each word: “Organize a lucky draw.”
Assistants: “?”
“In this group.” Her tone was calm, but the whisper that followed was pure demon: “Randomly pick one person and send them to Africa.”
“…”
At the same time, Jiang Linye walked out of the neurology ward.
Tang Ning had left the hospital in such a rush that she didn’t take everything with her—just left things exactly as they were, not planning to come back for them. A few inexpensive odds and ends: the clothes she’d been wearing during the accident, a shattered little mirror, and the bag she’d scratched up and decided she didn’t want anymore.
He didn’t know what he was thinking. When he saw them, he just picked them up one by one and took them back.
As he walked out the door, he couldn’t help mocking himself: “Like some little boy scavenging trash.”
Turning the corner, he ran straight into the head of neurology.
The doctor looked surprised: “Oh, Mr. Jiang, you’re still here?”
“Yeah. My wife left some things behind—I came to pick them up.” Jiang Linye didn’t bother hiding it. “Also wanted to ask you one more thing: after discharge, is there anything in particular my wife needs to watch out for?”
From childhood to now, he’d never taken care of a sick person.
“Her wound hasn’t fully healed yet, so definitely no seafood or spicy food for a while… Come in and sit first, Mr. Jiang. I’ll write you a list.”
“Thank you for the trouble.”
The doctor led him into the small office, rummaging for a pen while speaking: “The accident wasn’t serious this time; she’s recovering quite well. Just come back once a week for check-ups, and stitches come out in three weeks.”
Jiang Linye nodded to show he’d remembered.
“I already went over the other wound-care precautions with her.”
“Still, please go over them with me again.” Jiang Linye smoothly pulled out paper and pen, lips pressed thin. “My wife’s head isn’t quite right.”
The man sat there in his sharp suit, back ramrod straight like a pine tree. Even silent, he carried an oppressive presence.
He looked more like he was here to negotiate a deal.
The doctor laughed: “The amnesia is temporary—car accidents often leave some aftereffects. But Mr. Jiang, you really need to keep a close eye on your wife’s mental state. If she gets dizzy, has headaches, or shows any other clear signs of brain discomfort, bring her back immediately for tests.”
Jiang Linye nodded instinctively.
But on second thought, he realized: if she really felt unwell, she might not tell him.
She wouldn’t have before the amnesia.
And after the amnesia…
An image suddenly flashed in his mind: her brimming with energy, cheerfully ordering him to go scrub toilets.
After the amnesia… she definitely wouldn’t complain : )
“That’s about it.” The doctor rubbed his chin, then remembered something. “Though, your wife’s immune system didn’t seem great before… Does she usually get sick easily? Weak constitution?”
“I…” Jiang Linye paused briefly. “I only know her mental state isn’t good. She’s always had insomnia.”
In truth, they hadn’t really talked properly in a very long time.
Most of the time they met, it was in bed.
The doctor didn’t think much of it and just reminded him: “Then make sure she exercises more and takes fewer sleep aids.”
But this time, Mr. Jiang had seriously underestimated his wife.
In reality, his wife’s current mental state was… excellent.
Even Tang Ning herself hadn’t expected she could delegate tasks so smoothly.
Those habits seemed etched into her bones—even amnesia hadn’t erased them completely.
On the elevator ride up, her attention was quickly hijacked by the office itself.
Before coming to TJ, she’d imagined having one of those idol-drama top-floor offices with massive floor-to-ceiling windows. Only after arriving did she discover the president’s office wasn’t on the very top—the fire ladders couldn’t even reach that high.
Still, her mid-floor office was plenty luxurious: separate meeting room, main office, bedroom—and most importantly, the huge transparent glass she loved.
Standing by the window, sunlight poured in by the millions of rays. The sky was a deep, endless blue; clouds drifted and shifted like galloping dogs.
Tang Ning spread her arms in a full embrace-the-sun pose and took a contented deep breath: “The weather is so nice—”
Jian Wei hurriedly pulled out her notepad. Normally, when the boss stood by the window like this, it meant she was about to daydream about money-related futures.
But the next second, Tang Ning said happily: “Everything’s handled. I’m going to take a nap!”
Jian Wei: “…”
Jian Wei: “?”
It wasn’t even noon yet, but the boss had always been a light sleeper. She’d probably wake up before lunch.
Jian Wei asked sincerely: “President Tang, should we still order that same salad place for lunch today?”
Tang Ning thought for exactly one second: “I just survived a major illness—of course I’m having Sichuan red-oil hotpot.”
Jian Wei: “…”
“Survived a great calamity, so I’ve got to order the pervert-level spicy to celebrate.” She said it cheerfully while turning happily toward the bedroom.
The bedroom was designed in peak “sexually frigid” style—the kind Tang Ning hated most: all business-like, black-and-white palette, even the wall art was a goddamn function graph.
She looked up and sighed: “Did your President Jiang design this room?”
It screamed “I’m here to spite you.”
But Jian Wei shook her head: “The entire office, inside and out—you personally designed and decorated everything.”
Tang Ning let out an “Oh,” then said with complete certainty: “Then the me from five years later must have gone completely insane. Sorry you had to deal with that.”
Jian Wei: “?”
She was the one dealing with hardship right now, okay…
Tang Ning rummaged around here and there, and sure enough, found a steam eye mask in the nightstand drawer.
She’d lost her memory, but her habits hadn’t changed.
But… “What’s this?”
Next to the eye mask was a plain white bottle covered in English. She couldn’t be bothered to read it.
Jian Wei explained: “It’s melatonin.”
Five years ago this wasn’t even a trend yet. Tang Ning gave the bottle a careless glance and scoffed at the giant “sleep” label: “I actually have to take this crap now? That’s straight-up insulting.”
Back then, if no one woke her, she could sleep so deeply people would think she was dead.
She didn’t know which part of that was funny, but Jian Wei suddenly found the current Tang Ning kind of adorable.
She smiled: “Then I’ll head out. Rest well, President Tang.”
With that, she turned and gently closed the door behind her.
Tang Ning lay down right there with a peaceful expression.
She’d been tormented all night yesterday and hadn’t slept well at all—she was genuinely exhausted now.
But even in sleep, she couldn’t escape Jiang Linye.
Because five minutes later, she saw him again in her dream.
Tang Ning: “…”
He was still in that “everyone owes me money” posture, sitting by the window, silent.
The hotel room had no lights on. Moonlight fell soft as thin frost. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was a lotus pond pavilion, bamboo shadows slanting sparsely. The lotus stems in the pool cast interlaced, fragmented shadows across the floor—inside and out, everything was clear and empty.
Tang Ning wasn’t sure if she’d said something to him. She had no memory of this scene—maybe it happened, maybe she just forgot.
But she could clearly smell iris and cedar in the air, drifting close then far, a dark fragrance that moved like smoke. There was even a hint of tonka bean—that scent most likely to make people think “danger.”
Jiang Linye propped his head on one hand, tilting it slightly. His gaze lifted—not toward the Tang Corporation equity documents she’d brought, laid out on the small bamboo table—but fixed straight on her.
His aura had always been cool and distant. But the way he looked at her now, eyes deep and shadowed, gaze unreadable, actually carried a lazy sensuality.
It was pure biological instinct—even with no memory of the scene, a strong wave of unease surged in Tang Ning’s chest.
The next second, Jiang Linye finally spoke.
His voice was as magnetic as ever, pressed low.
“It’s not that I can’t help you.”
“—Strip and let me see.”