By the time Le Ning had driven some distance, her face was still a bit flushed.

At a red light, she stepped on the brake, lowered her gaze slightly, and looked at her wrist. The spot where she had been grabbed still felt a little warm.

She frowned inwardly and sneered at Zhou Ran in her mind.

—Returning the keys is one thing, but why take advantage of the situation?

The light turned green. She shook her head, chasing away the fleeting sense of intimacy from her thoughts.

She focused on driving, completely ignoring the bag tossed into the back seat without even looking at it.

---

Midway, Le Ning stopped by the mall to buy a gift.

She picked something at random—it didn’t matter; the old man didn’t lack for anything anyway.

By the time she reached home, the sun was just setting.

Le Ning’s father lived quite far from her apartment—a deliberate choice when she bought her place.

As soon as she parked her car, a young woman in a brightly colored dress came out of the house. Le Ning took a closer look—it was Dior’s latest autumn collection.

Le Ning owned the same dress, which she had worn during a recent livestream.

As she thought about it, she decided she’d donate that dress when she got back.

Before she could dwell on the idea further, the girl approached her car with a sweet expression and called out, “Sis, you’re finally back!”

Le Ning didn’t even bother rolling down the window and instead stepped out of the car, changing into her heels as she did so.

As soon as she opened the door, Tang He was already standing beside her, smiling sweetly.

“Sis,” Tang He greeted her with a bright look in her eyes. “Was there traffic? Dad’s attending a banquet tonight. Why aren’t you wearing a dress—”

Her words trailed off abruptly when Le Ning turned to look at her.

Tang He stood frozen, momentarily stunned.

Her sister, who had always exuded a pure and alluring vibe, now carried neither quality. While her features hadn’t changed, today she radiated a sharp and commanding aura. Her bold red lips and casually tied-back hair made her appear even more polished and confident.

The British-style striped suit was the “finishing touch,” elevating her entire presence by several degrees.

Even at a high-profile banquet, this outfit would be anything but out of place. On the contrary, it would make her the center of attention.

Tang He’s jealousy grew.

Le Ning raised an eyebrow at her. “Is everyone else here?”

Tang He opened her mouth, then finally answered, “Yeah.”

Softening her tone, she added, “Sis, Dad wanted us to dress formally tonight. Shouldn’t you consider changing into something else?”

At that, Le Ning glanced at her coolly. “Why dress formally? Is the old man planning to set me up on a blind date, or announce that I’m inheriting the family business tonight?”

Tang He was rendered speechless, her gaze faltering. “I just meant… you look prettier in a dress.”

Le Ning smiled faintly and studied her expression. “A dress, huh.”

She tilted her head thoughtfully. “I’m afraid if I wear a dress, the prince you invited tonight might end up leaving with me.”

The moment she said that, Tang He’s smile cracked.

Le Ning had no interest in prolonging the exchange. “Alright, drop the act. Stop pretending we’re close sisters. I know exactly how you feel about me, so don’t bother.”

She retrieved the gift she had prepared for the old man from the back seat and said flatly, “It’s disgusting and irritating to watch.”

“You—”

Tang He’s eyes welled up as she stared at her sister, clearly wanting to say more. But before she could, Tang Guangyuan walked out of the house.

“Ning Ning.”

Le Ning looked up.

The man approaching her wore a perfectly tailored suit. Even in his fifties, Tang Guangyuan remained strikingly handsome. With age, he had gained a certain refined charm.

It wasn’t surprising; good looks ran in the family—he wouldn’t have been able to father someone as beautiful as Le Ning otherwise.

Noticing Le Ning’s attire, his eyes lit up. “Is it cold today?”

Le Ning frowned. “What?”

Tang Guangyuan: “I remember you used to love wearing dresses.”

Tang He quickly chimed in, nodding eagerly. “Exactly, Dad! I just told Sis she should change into a dress!”

Tang Guangyuan looked at Le Ning.

Le Ning replied with an indifferent “Oh,” then smiled slightly. “The old dresses just don’t look good anymore.”

Tang Guangyuan paused, then asked immediately, “Out of money?”

Le Ning remained silent.

He continued, “Didn’t the assistant transfer your allowance this month?”

“They did. I spent it all.”

As he spoke, Tang Guangyuan put an arm around her shoulder. “Come, I’ll get you another card.”

Le Ning obediently replied, “Okay.”

Tang He, standing behind them, watched with reddened eyes, barely able to contain her anger.

She bit her lip and glared at the father-daughter duo ahead, so enraged she could hardly breathe.

Not long after, Zhu Mingyan, Tang Guangyuan’s wife, saw him handing Le Ning a card and practically ground her teeth to dust.

“Guangyuan,” Zhu Mingyan asked in a hushed voice after Le Ning walked away. “Is Ning Ning really out of money?”

Tang Guangyuan gave his wife a puzzled glance. “Yes, why?”

Zhu Mingyan hesitated, then hurriedly added, “I remember Ning Ning’s… profession is quite expensive. I heard she needs to buy new products every day or something. Her room is filled with cosmetics and handbags—”

She paused before continuing cautiously, “Don’t you think she’s being a bit too extravagant?”

Tang Guangyuan stopped in his tracks, pondering her words.

Zhu Mingyan’s eyes brightened, thinking her words might finally have an impact.

“You’re right.”

Tang Guangyuan nodded. “That card I just gave her probably isn’t enough. I should give her a no-limit card to make sure she doesn’t have to worry about buying a new dress.”

Zhu Mingyan: “???”

She could only watch helplessly as her husband went back to his room, calling Le Ning to follow him.

---

In the study, Le Ning dropped her polite demeanor.

She lounged lazily on the sofa and glanced at the busy old man. “What do you want now?”

Tang Guangyuan looked at her with a laugh. “Still mad at me?”

“No.”

Le Ning turned her head toward the window. The study offered a perfect view of the front gate. Guests were arriving one after another, and several luxury cars were parked outside. In comparison, her little Mini Cooper was embarrassingly out of place.

Tang Guangyuan handed her another card.

Le Ning stared at him, baffled.

“Take it.”

Le Ning: “Why are you giving me another card? I was just messing with you earlier.”

Tang Guangyuan chuckled. “Do you think I don’t know your little tricks?” He sighed. “The family assets will be yours sooner or later. Whether I give them to you now or later doesn’t matter.”

Hearing this, Le Ning chuckled.

She pointed outside. “Do they know you feel this way?”

Tang Guangyuan shot her a warning look. “As long as they don’t cross my bottom line, there’ll be something left for them. They’ll have enough to live comfortably. But the company is yours.”

“Oh.”

Le Ning didn’t seem particularly interested. Still, she couldn’t stand the thought of her family’s assets falling into someone else’s hands.