Back at the school's garden, Su Ning was still seated in a relaxing posture without care of the world, yet for Chen Anya, calm was impossible.
She paced in a short line in front of the bench, hands clenched, breath uneven. Every few seconds, her eyes flicked toward the main buildings in fear that someone would rush out and start trouble all over again.
Mu Suying leaned against the back of the bench instead, arms crossed loosely. Her expression was composed, but there was tension in the way her jaw set whenever voices drifted faintly from afar. She wasn't pacing, but she wasn't relaxed either.
Only Su Ning remained still.
She sat with her back straight, legs crossed elegantly at the ankle, hands resting lightly on her bag. Her gaze was directed toward the fountain, unfocused, as if she were looking through it rather than at it. Sunlight brushed across her features, softening them, but there was nothing soft about her presence.
Her phone vibrated quietly.
She rose smoothly from the bench, stepping several paces away without a word.
"Principal Di," she said calmly, she wondered why he was calling for the second time.
On the other end, Di Fulin had just returned to his office, his voice was restrained, measured, but beneath it lay unmistakable tension. "Miss Su, the board members are now aware of your identity as the owner of Fuyuan."
Su Ning's eyes lifted slightly, scanning the sky above the trees. "Oh."
Di Fulin hesitated. "Miss Su, Would you like me to inform the staff officially, to avoid unnecessary trouble for you—"
"No," Su Ning interrupted gently.
The firmness in her voice was unmistakable.
"No need."
Di Fulin inhaled slowly. "Understood."
"If anyone crosses the line," she added evenly, "I'll handle it."
"Yes… of course," he replied. "If you require anything, let me know."
"Hm," Su Ning said, ending the call.
When Su Ning returned, Chen Anya immediately stepped forward. "Ningning… are you sure you're okay?"
Su Ning smiled faintly. "Don't worry Anya, I'm fine, I promise."
Then a familiar, mechanical tone echoed in her mind.
'Ding.'
'New mission issued.
Task: Overturn public opinion and silence ignorant masses.
Reward: A private jet with independent airfield access located at the outskirt of City F
300 million yuan
God-tier hacking skills
Penalty for failure: Loss of system space and decline in host's cultivation
Time limit: Three days.'
Su Ning let out a low breath, almost a laugh.
"System, you are not trying to work me to death are you?" she murmured inwardly.
"And why do I feel like you are enjoying this?"
As usual, the system did not respond.
Chen Anya asked. "What did you say?"
"Nothing," Su Ning said, straightening. "I'll be leaving now."
"Leaving?" Chen Anya blurted. "But school isn't over yet—Ningning, what if you get punished—"
"It's alright Anya. I'll talk to you later" Su Ning said gently. She reached out and pressed Chen Anya's shoulder lightly. "Go to class."
Mu Suying's brows knit together. "You're sure you don't want us to come along??"
Su Ning shook her head. "No need, take care of Anya."
She carried her bag and left.
The atmosphere outside the school was anything but calm.
Several black vans were parked along the street, their doors open, cameras already raised. Reporters lingered like vultures, eyes sharp, voices hushed but eager. The moment Su Ning appeared, the air seemed to snap.
"She's coming!"
"That's her—Goddess Su!"
Microphones surged forward.
A middle-aged man in a gray blazer pushed to the front. "Miss Su, are the rumors about you being financially sponsored by a senior executive true?"
A young woman with bold red lipstick cut in sharply. "Is Director Zhao Qi your benefactor?"
Another voice followed, mocking and loud. "Do you deny being a gold digger?"
Cameras flashed violently, white light exploding again and again.
Su Ning stopped walking.
The sudden stillness made them falter.
She turned slowly, her expression composed, gaze steady as it passed over the sea of faces. When she spoke, her voice was clear and unhurried, carrying easily despite the noise.
"You want the truth," she said calmly.
The reporters leaned forward instinctively.
"You'll have it in two days."
No elaboration. No defense.
She turned away, walking towards her sport car.
Her car door opened smoothly, and she stepped inside.
The engine roared to life, deep and powerful, vibrating through the street. As the car sped away, the reporters stood frozen, staring after it, their questions dying in their throats.
The villa was quiet when Su Ning arrived.
She went straight upstairs to her bedroom, then entered the bathroom, she decided to take a shower, shedding the weight of the day beneath warm water. Steam fogged the glass, blurring the world into abstraction. When she emerged, she felt refreshed.
She picked a simple yet classy outfit, a soft charcoal top with clean white lines and fitted black trousers. She looked through her jewelry collections but decided not to put on any jewelry.
She felt hungry and went downstairs, in the kitchen, she prepared a carefully balanced meal—grilled salmon glazed lightly with honey and citrus, sautéed greens, and fragrant rice. She ate slowly, savouring the taste.
Classical music filled the villa as she carried her laptop to the grand balcony on the third floor.
The large swimming pool reflected the sky like polished sapphire. A manicured lawn stretched beyond it, flowers swaying gently in the breeze.
There were many places she hadn't fully toured in the villa as it was really big, this was one of them. She hadn't felt the need too since she couldn't swim.
She sat down on a beautiful sofa few feet away from the pool, the scenery was beautiful, her hair falling over one shoulder.
From her system space, a bottle of red wine she had previously gotten appeared.
She poured a glass, took a measured sip, she closed her eyes, a sigh escaping her lips as the richness spread through her tongue, then slowly, she set it aside.
Business first.
She opened her laptop and initiated a video call.
It rang once.
Then connected.
David Mark appeared on screen, seated behind a sleek glass desk. His blond hair was neatly styled, perfectly soothing his handsome face, his black suit immaculate. He looked to be in his late thirties. Behind him, the office spoke of restrained luxury, floor-to-ceiling windows, muted tones, controlled power.
He blinked when he saw her.
"…Miss Su?"
Su Ning replied smoothly in english. "Hello David."
He leaned back slightly, studying her face with undisguised surprise. "I'll admit—this isn't what I expected, you are so young..."
She arched a brow lightly. "Disappointed?"
"No," he said quickly, then laughed. "Impressed. And… shocked."
She smiled faintly. "You're not the first."
"May I ask how old you are?" he said cautiously.
"Sixteen."
"Holy Shit—"
He swore softly under his breath, then straightened immediately. "My apologies. I meant no disrespect."
"I know," she said easily. "Now—let's talk business."
They discussed Vogue's recent developments in detail. Market expansion. Branding strategy. Upcoming collaborations.
Then Su Ning leaned slightly forward. "Tell me about the latest skincare proposals."
David nodded. "We've received offers from several international companies. We're narrowing it down to two—brands with both technological backing and long-term vision."
"I want Radiance Skincare International included."
He paused, fingers stilling on the desk. "Radiance… is strong, but it wasn't at the top of the list."
"It will be," Su Ning said calmly.
He studied her for a moment. "May I ask why you're so certain?"
"Because it belongs to me."
Silence.
Then David let out a slow breath, his eyes sharpening with new found respect. "Understood."
"I'll forward the Contact of it's president to you, his name is Lin Wang, have him sign the contract as soon as possible"
"At once ma'am." He replied immediately.
"And David, there is no need to inform Lin Wang of my identity as the owner of Vogue, at least, not yet."
"Rest assured ma'am."
They discussed terms in detail—distribution, branding alignment, research integration.
When the call ended, Su Ning sent Lin Wang's contact to David.
Then she called Lin Wang directly.
"Miss Su." Lin Wang greeted with respect.
"The collaboration is confirmed," she said without preamble. "Prepare to go to London next week."
The line went dead.
Lin Wang's glasses slipped off, hanging crookedly on the tip of his nose, mouth agape wondering if he had heard wrong.
Just as he was wondering if he was hallucinating, his phone rang again, this time it was an international number.
LIn Wang's breathing became heavy as he cautiously picked the call.
"Lin Wang speaking, may I ask who is calling?" He said in English, although his accent wasn't perfect, he had no problem communicating.
"This is David Mark, Executive Vice President of Vogue Pharmaceutical Company," came a steady voice.
Lin Wang stood abruptly.
David's voice was calm, authoritative. "Radiance has been recommended to us by Miss Su Ning. We'd like to proceed with contract discussions. Would you be available to sign the contract in the coming week?"
Lin Wang's breath hitched. "Of course—of course! I and my team will be in London by weekend."
"Alright then, looking forward to seeing you."
After the call ended, Lin Wang stood in stunned silence before breaking into laughter.
"Miss Su Ning…" he whispered. "Who exactly are you?"
Su Ning had become even more mysterious and grand to him, to be able to get a such a big company on global scale like Vogue to contact them immediately and initiate a contract, she wasn't ordinary.
He took a deep breath in, then dialed a number through the official landline phone, his hands trembling.
As soon as the call connected,
"Tell the team to assemble, we have an emergency meeting!"