The curtain was lifted at one corner by the midsummer wind, rolling in the warm breeze, finally dissipating some of the scent of passion that lingered in the office.

Jiang Wang had shamelessly made a mess on the desk, which Shi Niannian had tidied just that morning but was now in complete disarray. The ink bottle that had been knocked over earlier had shattered on the floor, spreading a large stain of ink, mottled and uneven, becoming a silent witness to everything that had happened.

Shi Niannian had no strength left and allowed Jiang Wang to clean up and zip up her skirt. The corners of her eyes were reddened from the intensity of it all.

She sat in the chair and took quite a while to clear her head, feeling sore all over whenever she moved.

They hadn’t even finished eating before they started, and by now the food had gone cold. Jiang Wang ordered a new meal. The satisfied man was in an exceptionally good mood, kissing her and asking softly, “Do you want to go take a nap?”

Shi Niannian didn’t want to respond to him and turned her head away: “No.”

Jiang Wang massaged her palm: “Aren’t you tired? You woke up early this morning.”

She moved her legs slightly and sucked in her breath sharply. Shi Niannian was still accustomed to more conventional positions in bed; the office desk had severely challenged both her flexibility and her sense of modesty. Her inner thighs ached terribly when she moved.

She complained: “I don’t have the energy to go anywhere.”

“I’ll carry you.”

Shi Niannian looked up at him without speaking, her gaze full of accusation.

After a moment’s thought, Jiang Wang understood what she was embarrassed about and smiled: “There’s no one around at noon. We’re the only two on the 19th floor.”

Shi Niannian was indeed drowsy, and she had broken into a sweat earlier. Although Jiang Wang had cleaned her up a bit, she still felt somewhat uncomfortable.

She was carried by Jiang Wang to that bedroom. After she came out from the shower, the new meal that Jiang Wang had ordered arrived. After eating, she fell into a deep sleep.

When she woke up, the room was dark. The curtains had been meticulously drawn. Shi Niannian stared at her hand in front of her eyes for a moment, then lazily stretched her still-sore legs and pulled open the curtains.

Outside, it was already quite dark.

She was startled and grabbed her phone, heading back to Jiang Wang’s office. The corridor lights were on.

Secretary Zhao had already left. How long had she been asleep?

She checked her phone: 7 PM…

She had come for an internship but had slept from noon until evening. If the chairman weren’t Jiang Wang, she probably would have been fired on her first day.

Jiang Wang had checked on her several times, but seeing her sleeping so soundly, he didn’t have the heart to wake her. He thought to himself that in the future, he shouldn’t make Shi Niannian follow his schedule and come to the company with him.

His original intention in having Shi Niannian intern at his company was just to find an excuse to see her every day. After all, with Shi Niannian’s temperament, she wasn’t comfortable being in the spotlight and wouldn’t often come to the company to keep him company.

The next day, he got up quietly, but when he came out of the bathroom, he saw that Shi Niannian was already up, sleepily putting on her clothes mechanically.

“Not going to sleep a little longer?” Jiang Wang walked over and asked.

“Mm.” She looked up, rubbing her eyes. “Aren’t we going to the company together?”

Jiang Wang felt a pang of sympathy: “If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to. There are plenty of technical staff at the company who can implement your project.”

Shi Niannian was insistent. She had always ranked first in her studies since childhood and naturally maintained strict standards for herself. She quickly got ready and went to the company with Jiang Wang.

However, the clever young woman, perhaps afraid that Jiang Wang would act inappropriately in the office again, ran straight to the design department for several consecutive days, so Jiang Wang hardly saw her throughout the day.

Shi Niannian had a likable personality wherever she went. Combined with the good atmosphere in the design department, she quickly became familiar with the group. Later, she even brought the meals Jiang Wang had bought to eat in the design department.

The people in the design department enjoyed fine food and drink alongside the Empress for several days.

Jiang Wang wasn’t too pleased about this, but in the end, he didn’t say anything. The people in his company were trustworthy, so he allowed Shi Niannian to frequent the design department daily.

But indulgence naturally leads to escalation.

That day, Jiang Wang watched as the smiling deputy director of the design department handed over a business trip application form: “CEO Jiang, please sign this. We need to go to the component processing factory for an on-site inspection.”

Jiang Wang glanced at it, and his hand stopped just as he was about to sign. He looked at Shi Niannian’s name on the personnel list and the three-day duration of the trip.

The pen tapped on the desk twice. Jiang Wang leaned back and looked up: “Shi Niannian is going too?”

The deputy director nodded with a smile: “Yes, Miss Shi just said she wanted to go too, so we added her name.”

Jiang Wang had no further reaction. He made a sound of acknowledgment, picked up his pen to sign, and said: “Ask Shi Niannian to come see me.”

With the Empress backing them, the design department employees had recently become quite cheeky with Jiang Wang. The deputy director cheerfully said, “Alright!” and happily left with the application form.

It was noon when Shi Niannian finished lunch in the design department and went to Jiang Wang’s office.

“You were looking for me?”

Jiang Wang reached out to her: “Come here.”

Shi Niannian went over and was embraced by the man. Jiang Wang asked in a low voice: “You still want to go on a business trip with them?”

“Mm, I sent you a message. Didn’t you see it?” Shi Niannian said.

Jiang Wang glanced at his phone not far away and made a sound of acknowledgment: “I had you come for an internship to keep me company. Every day you go off with others, and now you’re not even staying home.”

“I’m not playing around. I’m working,” Shi Niannian explained. “I can’t just take your salary for nothing, and it’s only three days.”

Jiang Wang was still not entirely satisfied. He pulled her close and kissed her for a while, biting her lower lip: “Even three days is too long to be apart from you.”

Shi Niannian blinked and smiled, her lips red and teeth white, her eyes curving into little crescents. She took the initiative and leaned forward to kiss him.

Jiang Wang’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. He leaned back slightly, causing the young woman to lean forward.

“CEO Jiang,” she suddenly called him with a smile.

Jiang Wang made a hissing sound, feeling that this girl was becoming increasingly skilled at igniting his desires. His dark eyes looked up at her, and Shi Niannian immediately retreated a step in caution, moving to the other side of the desk.

She rested her chin on her palm, sitting across from him, her finger tapping rhythmically, and called out again: “CEO Jiang.”

He leaned back, raising his chin slightly as he looked at her, his voice hoarse: “Asking for trouble?”

Having been with Jiang Wang for two years, Shi Niannian’s tolerance for the man’s crude remarks had increased considerably. She raised her eyelids slightly and said with a smile: “I just wanted to try calling you like they do.”

She continued: “I enjoy interning here. Everyone is so lovely. I can’t stop laughing when I hear them talk every day.”

Jiang Wang looked at her and made a sound of acknowledgment.

“And these past few days, I’ve heard them talk a lot about you. I think you’re amazing.”

Shi Niannian sat across from him, resting her face on her elbow, her eyes full of smiles, her voice very soft, mixed with sincere admiration. Hearing this, Jiang Wang’s heart softened.

Jiang Wang’s public image was completely different from how he was with Shi Niannian.

In recent years, after the company had stabilized, everything had progressed smoothly. But what Shi Niannian had previously seen in foreign news about him was from when he had just taken over Jiang Corporation.

Swift and decisive, ruthless in his methods, a tiger father breeds no dogs. That was the assessment.

These days, Shi Niannian had heard the design department people telling her about the series of measures Jiang Wang took when the old chairman had just passed away. At that time, Jiang Corporation faced severe difficulties. Many people in the company didn’t believe in Jiang Wang and were prepared to change jobs. But then they watched as this young CEO, still in university, accurately and neatly carved out a bloody path through the complex web of power, and the companies that had deliberately tried to trip him up didn’t end well.

“I always thought you were amazing, like you could do many things very well with ease,” Shi Niannian said.

Jiang Wang looked at her without speaking.

She counted on her fingers while resting her face on her hand: “Good grades, excellent at swimming, and now the company is doing very well.”

Since Jiang Wang had given up swimming due to his sudden deafness, almost no one had mentioned swimming in front of him again. He no longer minded, but hearing Shi Niannian suddenly bring it up, he didn’t know how to react for a moment.

“I used to watch you swim and thought you were so brilliant. That competitive sport, like during the sports meet in our second year of high school, when the whole venue was shouting your name. I believe that whatever you set your mind to, you can achieve.”

Shi Niannian looked at him and said softly, “I don’t know if you feel regret, having to give up swimming twice, but no matter which version of you it is, I like them all, and I think they’re all brilliant.”

She smiled, her eyes curving: “You are Jiang Wang after all.”

Jiang Wang was quiet for a few seconds, then reached out to her. Shi Niannian placed her hand in his.

He stood up, leaned forward, and embraced her: “No regrets.”

Shi Niannian raised her hand and stroked his hair.

“From the moment I met you, you became my only dream,” he said. “After you came back, I had no more regrets.”

August’s weather grew increasingly sultry. The entire city felt like a furnace, with even the air seeming to congeal in the heat. Shi Niannian applied sunscreen to all her exposed skin in the bathroom.

Today was the day for the business trip. It was Shi Niannian’s first business trip, and she was quite excited. She had packed her luggage several days ago.

“Jiang Wang,” she called out as she walked out of the bedroom.

Jiang Wang responded, coming out from the dining room: “Come down for breakfast.”

“Did you bring down my suitcase?”

“Mm.”

After breakfast, Shi Niannian pushed her suitcase to the door and picked it up, finding it seemed much heavier. Then she turned around and saw Jiang Wang following her out.

She was startled. Today was Sunday: “Are you taking me there?”

Jiang Wang calmly said: “I’m going with you.”

“…”

When they arrived, everyone else was already there. Five other people from the design department were going on this trip—two men and three women.

“Niannian, you and CEO Jiang are close! He came to send you off so early in the morning!”

“Have you had breakfast, Niannian? I bought enough for six people.”

…

Jiang Wang didn’t know what kind of magic Shi Niannian had worked. Previously, they had all called her “the Empress” behind her back and “Miss Shi” or “Mrs. Jiang” to her face, but now they were all affectionately calling her “Niannian” directly.

Even he, as CEO Jiang, wasn’t getting much attention.

Shi Niannian glanced awkwardly at Jiang Wang and said quietly to everyone: “He’s coming with us.”

Jiang Wang’s gaze swept lightly over the people before him.

Everyone immediately became more restrained: “CEO Jiang.”

The destination required a two-hour flight. Shi Niannian caught up on some sleep. After landing, everyone went directly to the pre-booked hotel.

Originally, Shi Niannian was supposed to share a room with the deputy director of the design department, but now that Jiang Wang had come, they naturally had a room together. Everyone put away their things and headed straight to the factory.

It was the first time Shi Niannian had seen Jiang Wang truly focused on work, watching him bow his head to carefully check and verify various components, asking related questions in a low voice.

“Handsome, right?” The deputy director sidled up to Shi Niannian and asked softly.

“Ah,” Shi Niannian was startled, then nodded with a smile. “Mm.”

The deputy director said, “You know, when CEO Jiang first took over the company, apart from a group of pragmatists who were planning to change jobs, there was also a group of romantics who were entranced by his good looks. Quite a few dreamed of becoming wealthy wives, but unfortunately, CEO Jiang didn’t give them a second glance. So now they’ve all become fans of you two as a couple.”

“…”

After spending the afternoon at the factory, the factory designer gave them a fifteen-minute introduction and finished. Jiang Wang turned his head, bent down, and leaned closer to Shi Niannian: “Are you tired?”

“Not too bad. What about you?”

“I’m tired,” Jiang Wang leaned against her slightly. “I want to go back.”

His voice was quite low, and others couldn’t hear. If they had, they would probably have been shocked—CEO Jiang acting coquettishly.

Shi Niannian smiled and stroked his hair: “Then let’s go back quickly.”

The group hurriedly ate dinner outside and returned to the hotel.

Jiang Wang still had some work to do. Shi Niannian took her nightclothes and went to shower first, but halfway through, Jiang Wang came in. She couldn’t remember if she had locked the door.

Shi Niannian let out a soft cry, instinctively covering her chest and turning her back.

“Why did you come in?”

“Let’s shower together. Hurry up, I want to sleep,” he said matter-of-factly.

Jiang Wang had already taken off his shirt. He leaned casually against the washbasin, head lowered, his movements languid yet deliberate as he unbuckled his belt, tapping it on the counter with a crisp sound.

The bathroom was steamy, with a thick layer of mist covering the mirror. Nothing could be seen clearly, only the vague outlines of two people intertwined.

After a while, the man’s restrained, low voice: “Niannian, I don’t think the hotel has any condoms.”