Sanlang stood at the entrance of one of Noor's companies add campaign , his heart racing in a way that made him feel like a teenager meeting a crush for the first time. He had imagined this moment, fantasized about it in his solitude, and yet, nothing could have prepared him for how it felt to see Noor again after all these months. She stood there, composed as ever, a vision of beauty and quiet strength, as though the world had not shifted around them at all.
Her eyes met his, and for a brief moment, time seemed to slow. She didn't smile or rush to greet him. Instead, she simply regarded him with that ever-knowing look of hers, as though she had been expecting him the entire time.
"Well,you are here." Noor said, her voice soft but carrying a slight edge of amusement, her lips curving ever so slightly.
Sanlang felt the heat rush to his face, an involuntary blush creeping across his cheeks. He was being foolish, wasn't he? But there was something about her that made him lose control. She had that effect on him—always had.
"It's not like that," he stammered, trying to hide his awkwardness behind a grin. "I've been… busy."
Noor raised an eyebrow, the expression both skeptical and playful. "Busy? I see."
Sanlang chuckled, running a hand through his hair nervously. "You could say that. But I'm here now, and it's... good to see you."
Her expression softened just slightly, though she remained as composed as ever. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Yes," Sanlang replied, his voice lowering, the weight of the months apart pressing down on him. "Too long."
They stood there for a moment, the air thick with the things they hadn't said, the space between them charged with unspoken words. His mind raced, memories of their time together flooding back—the warmth of her smile, the fire in her eyes when she was annoyed, the way she had always seemed to effortlessly control every room she entered.
Sanlang cleared his throat. "You haven't changed a bit," he said, trying to make light of the situation. His gaze roamed over her, as he couldn't help but admire how flawlessly she still held herself. The silk dress she wore clung to her form, but it was her aura—her presence—that truly captivated him. It was as though the world around her simply faded into the background.
"Is that so." she replied calmly, though there was a flicker of something in her eyes. Whether it was amusement or something else, Sanlang couldn't quite tell. "But I suppose you've been busy too, judging by how much time you've taken."
Sanlang chuckled nervously again, his mind doing its best to keep him from diving too deep into the fantasies that had consumed him during their time apart. "You could say that. The world doesn't stop for me, unfortunately."
Noor tilted her head slightly, her gaze sharpening ever so slightly. "And you've been... handling it all by yourself?"
"I've had some help," he said, the playful tone now replaced with something more serious. "But you know how it is. Always a little too much to do, no matter how much help you have."
She nodded, a soft, almost imperceptible smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Sometimes the weight of it all can be a bit much, can't it?"
Sanlang didn't expect the understanding in her voice. It was rare to hear such softness from Noor—especially from someone who seemed as unflappable as she was. He took a step closer, his confidence slowly returning as he let the brief silence stretch between them.
"How have you been?" he asked, his voice gentler now, the weight of months of separation finally settling in. He'd been dying to know, to see if there had been any change in her. He had tried so hard to keep his thoughts in check, to focus on other things, but now that she was here, standing before him, all he could think about was the way her presence filled every corner of his mind.
Noor glanced at him for a moment, her gaze assessing, but then she answered with that calm detachment he had come to know so well. "I've been well as always."
Sanlang couldn't help but chuckle, the tension in his chest easing ever so slightly. "Of course. Always busy. Always helping is what you mean...."
Her smile deepened, but it was never more than a flicker, as though her emotions were contained behind layers of composure. She turned slightly, indicating the seating area nearby. "Would you like to sit? We have much to catch up on."
Sanlang nodded, grateful for the normalcy of it all. He took a seat across from her, but his eyes never left her face. He was trying so hard not to think about the way her hair cascaded around her shoulders or how her lips curved just so when she spoke. He could feel the familiar heat stirring inside him again, the same unholy thoughts creeping back into his mind, but he refused to let them take over.
"So," he began, his voice lighthearted, "what has Noor been up to while I've been away?"
Noor's expression remained composed as she leaned back in her chair. "Just the usual I guess."
Sanlang laughed at that, though a nervous tension lingered in his chest. "I should've known. You're always keeping track of things."
She gave him a knowing look, her lips curling just slightly. "Someone has to."
Sanlang let the moment linger, but as he looked at her, he could feel it—his mind was racing. His body reacting to her presence in ways that he couldn't control. There was a flutter in his chest, a twinge of desire that he hadn't felt in months. He tried to push it away, tried to focus on her words, but his thoughts kept wandering back to the way she moved, the way she spoke, the way she was.
"Tell me," Noor continued, her voice cutting through his thoughts like a blade, "what have you been doing ?"
Sanlang froze, his thoughts faltering for a moment. The question was lighthearted, but there was an edge to it, a challenge that he knew he couldn't escape.
"I've been... thinking," he admitted, his voice quieter now. "Thinking about what I missed.."
Noor didn't respond immediately, but the flicker of something in her eyes told him that she had heard him. And perhaps—just perhaps—she understood more than he had thought.
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Here's Part 2 following the lighthearted and somewhat playful dynamic between Noor and Sanlang as they reconnect after months apart. This part will continue to build their interaction, with Sanlang becoming increasingly aware of his feelings and desires, while Noor remains composed, but perhaps with hints of something deeper beneath her calm exterior.
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Sanlang watched Noor with a kind of quiet intensity as she spoke about her latest projects, her voice steady and measured. He had always been captivated by how effortlessly she held everything together, whether it was running her companies, caring for the orphanage, or navigating the world with that unshakable composure of hers. And now, sitting across from her after months apart, he couldn't help but feel a flutter in his chest every time her eyes met his.
"So," Noor continued, her voice cutting through his reverie, "you've been away for so long, but it seems like you're still keeping busy. premieres, managing all those—" she waved a hand dismissively, "—whatever it is you do."
Sanlang chuckled at her teasing tone. "You always make it sound so trivial," he said, leaning forward slightly, unable to hide the grin tugging at his lips. "But yes, it's been a bit chaotic, to say the least.."
He watched as Noor's lips curved ever so slightly, a subtle smile that hinted at amusement. But it wasn't the usual sarcastic amusement that he had grown used to; this was different. It was as though she understood something he hadn't even spoken aloud yet.
"What do you think you missed the most?" she asked, her tone light but laden with an unspoken depth.
Sanlang paused, caught off guard by the question. What had he missed the most? Of course, he had missed her—more than he was willing to admit. But what else? He searched for the words, his thoughts tangled between truth and the reluctance to show too much.
"Well," he began slowly, his voice softer than usual, "I guess I missed... the way everything felt when you were around. Like the world was just a little more... manageable. Or at least, I didn't feel so... lost."
Noor didn't respond immediately, but she studied him with a quiet intensity, her gaze sharp. He felt exposed, vulnerable even. But he didn't mind. If there was anyone he could be honest with, it was her.
"I suppose that's what I do, isn't it?" Noor said after a moment, her voice almost too calm. "I make things manageable. For everyone else."
Sanlang shifted in his seat, his chest tightening. He knew there was more to that statement, but he wasn't sure if he was ready to understand it. Noor was always so careful with her words, always so deliberate. But in that moment, he caught a flicker of something beneath her calm exterior—something he hadn't seen before. Or maybe he just hadn't been paying enough attention.
There was something raw in her gaze. He couldn't help but feel it.
"So," Sanlang said, trying to steer the conversation to something more lighthearted, "have you been keeping track of me while I've been gone?"
Noor's eyes flickered with amusement, but the edges of her smile remained controlled. "Sanlang. I trust you can handle yourself."
He laughed softly, but there was a hint of nervousness behind it. "That's what you think. I've been... a bit reckless lately."
"Oh?" Noor tilted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Reckless, how?"
Sanlang could feel the heat rising in his chest again, a familiar flutter of excitement and nervousness. He had thought he could be cool and composed around her, but that was before he realized how much he had missed her, how much his feelings for her had only grown in her absence.
"Maybe... maybe I've been thinking a lot about you," he said, his voice quieter now, his words more deliberate. He wasn't sure where the boldness was coming from, but it felt like the right thing to say. "About what you mean to me."
Noor remained calm, her gaze unwavering. But there was something in her eyes that made Sanlang's heart race. She wasn't surprised, and she wasn't dismissive. She simply waited for him to continue.
"I didn't realize it until recently," he continued, his words flowing more freely now. "How much I've missed you. How much I—" he cut himself off, feeling the weight of his confession hanging in the air. "Never mind. I guess I just missed the way you made everything feel... easier."
He saw Noor's lips quirk ever so slightly, but her expression remained largely unreadable. "You're always making things sound so simple, Sanlang," she said softly, her voice almost teasing. "But nothing is ever simple, is it?"
Sanlang shook his head, laughing lightly to cover his own nervousness. "I guess not."
They fell into a quiet moment then, the tension between them growing heavier. Sanlang couldn't help but let his mind wander back to their past—back to the time when he had first fallen for her. The way she had suddenly shown up on horse back at their first gathering and how their eyes locked.
"I've thought a lot about the past about the memories I have lost "Sanlang said suddenly, his voice serious now.
Noor's gaze flickered to his face, her expression still unreadable. "And what have you concluded?"
"I've concluded that I..." Sanlang trailed off, unsure of how to put his feelings into words. "I can't just let go of this.."
Noor studied him for a long moment, her eyes searching, as though looking for something hidden beneath the surface. Sanlang could feel her analyzing him, peeling away the layers he had so carefully constructed over the months they had been apart.
"I see," Noor said finally, her voice soft but firm. "But perhaps you should. Holding on too tightly can be more painful."
Sanlang's breath caught in his throat. The words she spoke were simple, but they carried so much weight. Was she speaking to him directly?
"I don't want to let go," he whispered, the words slipping out before he could stop them.
Noor's eyes softened, but only for a fraction of a second. "Perhaps you don't have to,the choice will always be yours afterall." she said quietly.
Her words left him reeling, his mind spinning with possibilities. What was she trying to tell him? Was there something deeper, something she wasn't ready to admit?
The silence stretched between them again, heavy with unspoken thoughts, but for once, it wasn't uncomfortable. It was... intimate. As though they were both standing on the edge of something neither of them was quite ready to face.
Sanlang leaned back in his chair, watching Noor closely. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I don't have control over this. But I can't stop myself from wanting to understand what this is. What was it. Why does it feel so empty?"
Noor's gaze flickered to his for a brief moment, and then she stood up, smooth and graceful as ever. "We'll see, won't we?" she said softly.
Sanlang watched her as she moved, the elegance of her every step hypnotizing him. Even as she spoke those words, he couldn't help but feel the weight of her unspoken thoughts lingering in the air. What did she mean? What was she really trying to say?
But for now, he would have to wait. As always, Noor remained the enigma he couldn't quite figure out. And he wasn't sure whether that drove him mad or made him want her more.
---
Sanlang had always prided himself on his self-control. He had spent years crafting the perfect mask—a man who was charming, confident, and utterly unshakable. But as he walked alongside Noor, his mind was doing everything but behaving itself.
It had been months since he had last seen her, and in that time, his thoughts had been anything but pure. He had tried to focus on his work, on his responsibilities, but every time his mind wandered, it was her—always her.
And now, after months of separation, she was right next to him, moving with that quiet grace that made his pulse race.
God help him.
She was wearing something deceptively simple—a dark silk dress that covered every inch of her, yet somehow made him feel like it revealed too much. Her long hair, unbound and flowing down past her waist, carried the faintest scent of jasmine, and he could feel its softness every time the wind played with the strands. Her lips, untouched by any color, looked just as he remembered—soft, smooth, untasted.
Sanlang nearly tripped over his own feet.
Get a grip, man. This is getting ridiculous.
"Something wrong?" Noor asked, not even turning to look at him.
Sanlang cleared his throat. "No, not at all. Just… adjusting to seeing you again."
Noor let out a soft hum, neither confirming nor denying anything. But that made it worse. Did she know what she was doing to him? Was she aware of how her mere presence was unraveling him thread by thread?
She was unreadable, as always. But at the same time, Sanlang couldn't shake the feeling that she knew exactly what was going on in his head.
Which was humiliating.
"Tell me," Noor said after a moment, her tone casual but laced with something deeper. "Did you enjoy yourself during these past months?"
Sanlang nearly choked on air. "What?"
"You had quite a few interesting events these past months," she continued, her voice impossibly smooth. "There was that gala in France. The charity banquet in New York. The private island trip with Zedra's team."
Sanlang opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. "Wait. Have you been tracking me?"
Noor gave him a slow, measured glance, her lips curving ever so slightly. "I don't need to track you, Sanlang. Zedra has been going crazy with every bit of detail"she chuckled.
Sanlang ran a hand over his face, feeling absurdly exposed. Of course she knew everything. Noor wasn't just a woman; She existed beyond the normal rules of information and secrecy.
"You do realize I wasn't exactly enjoying myself," Sanlang muttered, mostly to regain some dignity. "I had work to do. Responsibilities."
"Oh?" Noor's eyes flickered with something unreadable. "And nothing else?"
His brain immediately betrayed him, flashing back to the other ways he had spent his nights—alone in his penthouse, drink in hand, thoughts very far from business.
Sanlang felt heat creep up his neck. He was not about to confess that to Noor.
She watched him expectantly, her expression unreadable, before she tilted her head slightly. "You're blushing."
"I am not—"
"You are," she said, matter-of-factly.
Sanlang groaned and looked away. This was an absolutely disastrous conversation. He needed to get a grip, immediately.
"Did I say something to fluster you?" Noor asked, and for the first time, there was the faintest trace of amusement in her voice.
Sanlang turned back to her, fully prepared to deny everything, but when he met her gaze, the words died in his throat.
She was calm. Completely, utterly calm. And that was the worst part.
She was unbothered. Unshaken. She stood there like a queen overlooking her kingdom, while he was struggling to breathe.
It was infuriating.
Why do you do this to me?
Sanlang inhaled sharply and forced himself to smile, as if he wasn't moments away from completely losing it. "I wasn't flustered. Just… caught off guard."
Noor's lips curved in that ever-so-subtle way that wasn't quite a smirk but made him feel completely ridiculous nonetheless. "If you say so."
Sanlang ran a hand through his hair and exhaled slowly. "You know, I was expecting this meeting to be different."
"How so?"
"Well, for one, I thought you'd at least pretend to be happy to see me," he said, feigning offense.
"I acknowledged your presence," Noor replied, utterly deadpan. "That should be more than enough."
Sanlang let out a breathless laugh. "God, I missed you."
This time, Noor actually paused.
For the briefest second, something flickered in her eyes—something softer, something real—but it was gone before Sanlang could grasp it.
Noor simply turned away, moving forward as if the moment had never happened. "Come," she said over her shoulder. "We still have a lot to discuss."
Sanlang stared after her, feeling his heart pounding against his ribs, his mind whirling.
She was impossible. Absolutely impossible.
And yet, he followed.
He always would.
---
Sanlang was suffering.
The worst part? Noor wasn't even trying.
She was seated across from him at the private lounge of the hotel, sipping her tea with the same effortless grace that had haunted his dreams for months. The dim lighting softened her already flawless features, making her look almost unreal. If he didn't know better, he'd think she had been sculpted rather than born.
And him? He was doing everything in his power to not focus on the way her lips pressed against the rim of the teacup. This is ridiculous. You are a grown man. Control yourself.
Noor, of course, was completely unaffected. She was talking about something—probably something important—but Sanlang had been too busy mentally lecturing himself to catch most of it. He needed to reset his brain immediately.
"So, what do you think?" Noor asked suddenly.
Sanlang blinked. "Hmm?"
Noor tilted her head, watching him with mild curiosity. "You haven't been listening, have you?"
Sanlang coughed, straightening up. "No, no, of course I have."
Her gaze remained steady, clearly unimpressed. "Then tell me what I just said."
There was a pause.
Sanlang sighed. "...I have no idea."
Noor exhaled lightly, shaking her head. "You're impossible."
Sanlang grinned, relieved that she wasn't too irritated. "To be fair, you are very distracting."
Noor gave him a look that was both unimpressed and mildly amused. " I guess I don't Understand "
"Exactly," he muttered under his breath.
Noor didn't acknowledge the comment, but the corner of her lips twitched, and that made Sanlang feel like he had just won a battle.
"So, what was I supposed to be paying attention to?" he asked, trying to steer the conversation back to safer territory.
Noor leaned back slightly, her fingers resting lightly on the table. "Zedra invited us to visit her new project site tomorrow. She wants your opinion on some of the designs before they launch."
Sanlang nodded. "Right, right. That sounds—" He paused, narrowing his eyes. "Wait. Why does she want my opinion?"
"She believes you have a good eye for what people find appealing," Noor said smoothly, lifting her cup again.
Sanlang smirked. "You mean, she thinks I'm attractive and assumes I know what looks good?"
Noor didn't even blink. "Yes."
Sanlang choked on air.
Noor continued sipping her tea as though she hadn't just casually destroyed his entire ego.
"I—" Sanlang started, but he had nothing. Absolutely nothing.
That was unfair. Completely unfair.
Noor set her cup down and finally looked at him again. "Are you alright?"
Sanlang dragged a hand down his face. "No. No, I'm not. That was—" He exhaled sharply. "You know what? Never mind. I walked right into that one."
Noor didn't deny it.
Sanlang slumped back in his seat, glaring at the ceiling. "You do this on purpose, don't you?"
Noor's expression remained neutral, but there was a suspicious glint in her eyes. "Do what?"
"Drive me to insanity."
She sipped her tea again.
Sanlang groaned. "Noor, I missed you."
This time, Noor didn't respond immediately.
There was a flicker of something in her expression, something unreadable. She glanced down at her tea, her fingers brushing absently over the rim of the cup. When she finally spoke, her voice was softer.
"Did you?"
Sanlang froze.
It wasn't a challenge. It wasn't a tease. For the first time, her question felt… genuine.
His heart clenched.
"I did," he said quietly, all humor gone from his voice.
Noor looked at him then, truly looked at him, and for a moment, he thought—hoped—that she might finally let him in. But just as quickly, that moment passed, and she was composed once more.
"I see," she murmured, before pushing her cup aside. "We should rest soon. Tomorrow will be a long day."
Sanlang swallowed the frustration in his throat. She was pulling away again. And what frustrated him most was that he didn't know why.
But fine. If she wanted to retreat, he would let her. For now.
With a deep sigh, he nodded. "Alright. I'll see you tomorrow, then."
Noor gave him one last glance before standing gracefully and walking away, her silk dress whispering against the floor as she disappeared through the door.
Sanlang exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair.
This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.
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