The Early Spring

Аt thе еnd оf а tedious night, downstаirs оf Jiang Lan's аpartmеnt.

"Соmе uр fоr some tеa?" Jiang Lan invited him. A womаn whо had wеathеrеd stоrms undеrstoоd lifе thоrоughlу. If she likеd something, she wеnt аfter it, nо matter who it wаs.

"We're bоth adults. I understаnd whаt уоu mеаn." Luаn Nian lit a сigаrettе. "Вut it's unnеcеssarу. Luminе isn't mine. Evеn if wе sign this cоntract, it just meаns my team will hаvе tо work оvertime morе diligеntlу."

Jiang Lаn lооkеd аt Luаn Nian. Не truly hаd a fаce thаt seеmеd indiffеrent аnd hаrd tо аpproаch, but Jiang Lan liked it.

"Thе contraсt will be signed аs plаnnеd, and thе advance payment will be made as scheduled." Jiang Lan suddenly smiled. "If you really came up with me, I'd actually be a little afraid." These things required finesse too. Jiang Lan probably saw clearly that Luan Nian was someone who couldn't be swayed by either soft or hard tactics. There was plenty of time ahead—no need to rush.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Jiang Lan turned and walked forward. At the staircase entrance, she glanced back at Luan Nian with a mischievous smile at the corner of her mouth. "Really not coming up?"

Luan Nian shrugged and got into his car.

It was almost midnight, and half of this weekend was already wasted. He went home, took a shower, opened a bottle of chilled soda, and planned to finish it before reviewing emails. But Shang Zhi Tao was truly persistent—another reminder message came through: "Hello, luke, are you asleep yet?..."

What's the rush with the payment! Even if he approved it in the middle of the night, could it be processed? Was Shang Zhi Tao not thinking straight? He called Zhang Ling, who was clearly still socializing, as the noise on the other end of the line was loud. "alex."

"Hey, luke, mission accomplished gloriously?"

"Change the person."

"What?"

"The marketing department liaison for our team—I want her replaced."

"Why?" Zhang Ling seemed a bit drunk. "Why replace her?"

"Because she's slow. You know I can't stand slow people."

"But there's no one else in the marketing department... They've all been sent out of town for executions. Just bear with it for a few more days. Once the staff is back, I'll replace her for you." Zhang Ling brushed off Luan Nian. He knew Luan Nian too well—if he disliked someone, he would find a way to replace them. But Shang Zhi Tao was such a diligent and hardworking girl. If she got replaced this time, how would she carry out her work in the future?

Luan Nian didn't say more to him. He opened his laptop and replied to the approval email. Before he could even close the laptop, Shang Zhi Tao's message came through: "Received, thank you for your hard work." Clearly, she had been waiting all along. Luan Nian realized Shang Zhi Tao had no other strengths—her greatest asset was patience and a good temper. He was someone who couldn't be swayed by either soft or hard tactics, and encountering someone so oblivious to reading the room gave him a headache.

"Is there any other work that requires my involvement?" Luan Nian asked her.

"There is, but it's not urgent. It's very late today, so I won't disturb your rest..."

"Save it to disturb me tomorrow?" Luan Nian wasn't intentionally making things difficult. If it wasn't handled today, it would be tomorrow. He didn't want Shang Zhi Tao ruining his Sunday. He called her directly and heard her flustered greeting.

"What else needs my attention?" Luan Nian skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point.

"There's also the company's annual meeting venue that needs your confirmation..."

"I'll discuss that with alex next Monday."

"And the Q3 materials and budget usage progress requested by the planning department need confirmation."

"Talk to kitty."

"Then there's no other work for now... Sorry for disturbing you..."

Luan Nian paused for two seconds, suppressing his frustration. "It's fine.""Goodnight then." Shang Zhi Tao's goodnight was said with a hint of guilt; she knew sending several messages in a row today was somewhat impolite, but she had no choice—both her boss and the finance department were pressing her urgently. After saying goodnight, she waited for Luan Nian to hang up first, adhering to etiquette by letting the other party end the call.

Luan Nian tossed his phone aside and took a sip of ice-cold sparkling water. The bubbles burst in his mouth, clearing his mind. When he looked back, he noticed the phone screen was still lit—had Shang Zhi Tao not hung up?

"You’re not hanging up? Eavesdropping?" Luan Nian suddenly spoke up, and Shang Zhi Tao hurriedly explained, "Workplace etiquette..."

Workplace etiquette? Damn it! Luan Nian cursed inwardly. Was this employee’s brain eaten by a dog? Yet what she said wasn’t wrong, but couldn’t she be more flexible? Suppressing his irritation, he replied, "Hmm, I hung up too late." He pressed the end-call button, then turned around and couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation.

What a mind.

Shang Zhi Tao finally fell asleep. The next morning, she woke to the sound of soft chatter outside and suddenly fell in love with this little house. Her roommates were all wonderful—sunny, cheerful, and idealistic. Coming back after work to such a safe little nest felt incredibly lucky. She hadn’t encountered any of the awful rental horror stories she’d read about online, aside from the room not being the one the agent had described.

Getting up and dressing, she picked up her washbasin and pushed the door open, seeing Sun Yu and Sun Yuanzhu sitting there tinkering with a computer. Both shared the surname Sun, making them seem like relatives.

"You’re up?" Sun Yu greeted her, and Shang Zhi Tao nodded, her glasses slipping down her nose.

"Are the frames loose? I’ll tighten them for you in a bit," Sun Yuanzhu said to her as she adjusted her glasses.

"Sure, thanks!" Shang Zhi Tao went to brush her teeth and wash her face. Her skin was naturally good, requiring only simple skincare to look fresh and healthy. With a slice of bread and a glass of milk, her face still glowing, she sat down opposite them. She loved bread with milk—a combination she’d never tire of.

"Done," Sun Yuanzhu pressed the restart button and slid the computer toward Sun Yu. "Take a look."

"Amazing, it’s fixed! Thank you so much," Sun Yu expressed her gratitude.

"No problem," Sun Yuanzhu turned and went back to his room, returning with a toolbox. "Let me see your glasses," he said to Shang Zhi Tao. She took them off and handed them over, watching as Sun Yuanzhu pulled a small screwdriver from his magic box and tightened her glasses with a few quick twists.

"Try them?"

Shang Zhi Tao put them on, and sure enough, they no longer slipped down. She smiled at Sun Yuanzhu. "Do a lot of guys have a toolbox like this?"

"Maybe."

Sun Yuanzhu’s gaze toward Shang Zhi Tao held something different, a touch softer. He remembered the night they first met, when she had been terrified by his rolling suitcase. The way she fled in panic still made him feel apologetic.

"I’ve arranged to play a board game with some college friends later. Want to join?" Sun Yuanzhu invited them.

"Sanguosha?" Shang Zhi Tao’s eyes lit up; she often played it with classmates in school.

"Yes, want to come?"

"Shall we go?" Shang Zhi Tao asked Sun Yu.

"Let’s go!"

All of them were single, with nothing much to do on the weekend. Getting together for some casual relaxation felt like a joy. They took the subway to the meeting spot, where they saw a few men and women of various appearances.Shang Zhitao had guessed that Sun Yuanzhu graduated from a good university, but she never expected it to be that prestigious—the top-ranked university in the country. His classmates were also warm and friendly. One female classmate even went to order coffee for Shang Zhitao and Sun Yu, and the group soon got into the lively spirit of the game.

It turned out that top students also played board games, and they were quite good at it.

Shang Zhitao drew the role of Loyalist and chose Sun Shangxiang. Sun Yuanzhu was the Lord, and he picked Liu Bei. As soon as the game started, he generously bestowed all his weapons on Shang Zhitao through the "Benevolence" ability, prompting everyone to tease, "Yuanzhu, as the Lord, you’re letting beauty cloud your judgment!"

Shang Zhitao blushed, clutching her cards tightly. In the first round, someone targeted her, and she was quickly down to just one health point. When another player used "Barbarian Invasion," Shang Zhitao had no health left, but Sun Yuanzhu gave her a "Peach" to restore her. The group erupted again, "Oh, our Lord!"

Finally, it was her turn to play. She had good luck with her draws—all weapon cards. Sun Yuanzhu gave her two more, and she equipped them one by one, swapping gear until she finally mounted the Zhuge Crossbow and Red Hare. Then, targeting a player two seats away, she unleashed four consecutive "Kill" cards, swiftly eliminating one Rebel. She then discarded two cards to heal alongside Liu Bei.

After all, they were young. No matter how gentle or soft-spoken one might be, there were moments of decisiveness, and the brilliance on her face was impossible to hide. The others at the table glanced at Sun Yuanzhu, then at Shang Zhitao, sensing something special between the two.

Shang Zhitao, however, was oblivious to their looks. Her mind was entirely focused on winning the game. Those who played "Sanguosha" often added sound effects to their moves. Every time she healed Sun Yuanzhu, she would say, "My Lord, here you go~" with an unbearably sweet and charming demeanor. Sun Yu, on the other hand, was bold and fiery. She had drawn the role of Spy, playing as Lü Meng, hoarding all her cards without playing a single one. But that didn’t stop her from joining in the teasing, "Hey, hey, Sun Shangxiang, come sleep with me too!"

The whole table burst into laughter.

If luck could be ranked, Shang Zhitao felt she must have first-class fortune. In such a short time, she had met so many interesting people, making her feel that much of her loneliness had faded away. No matter how difficult work might be, at least this weekend had given her a chance to recharge.