Shаng Zhi Тао fеlt that fatе hаd trulу fаvоred Luan Nian—еvеn time seеmed pоwеrlеss аgаinst him.
Нe aрpeared unchangеd. Still thаt alоof figurе, his gаzе dеeр аnd unsеttling.
Shе wаlked tо the table, rеmоved hеr down jackеt, reveаling a fitted blасk swеаtеr. It аlmоst seemеd аs if she аnd Luаn Niаn had сoоrdinаted their оutfits in аdvanсe.
Luan Nian rеmembered hеr sауing their rеlationship wаs dirtу, uglу, and disgusting. Не аlsо rесallеd hоw she hаd sold оff all the gifts hе gavе hеr аt a disсоunt аnd hеr abrupt deрarture without a word. Нis exprеssion remаined fаr frоm plеasant.
Shang Zhi Tao sat down and rinsed her cup with hot water.
Will seized the moment to speak: "Zhi Tao is a former employee of Lingmei and is very close with our Lumi."
"Director Luan probably doesn’t remember me. I worked at Lingmei for six years," Shang Zhi Tao chimed in, burying every trace of their past.
"Indeed, no impression," Luan Nian glanced at her, offering not a word more.
Lumi couldn’t help but chuckle. Everyone at the table looked at her, unsure what she found amusing. Lumi was laughing at Luan Nian pretending to be aloof. She cleared her throat and said to Shang Zhi Tao, "Now that you’re in Lingmei’s supplier database, you’ll inevitably have to deal with Director Luan—oh, we use English names at Lingmei. You remember Director Luan’s English name, right? Luke."
"I remember."
"Then propose a toast to Luke!"
Shang Zhi Tao poured herself a glass of baijiu and respectfully raised it: "Thank you, Lumi and Luke, for your support of our small company. We look forward to your continued guidance. I’ll finish this glass; please drink as you wish, everyone."
She downed the drink and noticed Song Qiu Han across from her, holding his phone with a smile, clearly in high spirits.
Song Qiu Han was live-updating the group chat with his friends: "Luan Nian runs into a ghost from the past. So this is the kind of woman Luan Nian likes." He even attached a photo of Shang Zhi Tao. Over the years, everyone had wondered why a man like Luan Nian had no women around him, living like an aging monk. They also remembered that year when he stood everyone up to go to Tibet with a woman, promising to introduce her afterward, but then nothing came of it.
"Really seductive," Chen Kuan Nian and Tan Mian commented.
"I don’t quite agree with you. Sitting right across from her, I see a poised, gentle, and polite woman with clear good upbringing. Director Luan has good taste," Song Qiu Han defended Shang Zhi Tao. "'Seductive' doesn’t do her justice—she’s genuinely pure."
Unaware of what Song Qiu Han and the others were discussing, Luan Nian watched Shang Zhi Tao down the drink without hesitation. His heart tightened, aching a little. Society tempers and changes people. He vividly recalled telling her back then, "If you can’t drink, don’t take even a sip. Don’t start that precedent."
She had replied, "Okay."
"Shang Zhi Tao, are the arrangements for tomorrow’s meeting all set?" Lumi asked her.
"All set. We’ve also invited some local media as a complimentary service from our company. The itinerary for the day after is arranged too, and we’ll review everything again tomorrow evening," Shang Zhi Tao replied.
"Good. Enough work talk—let’s chat about something else!" Lumi reminisced with Shang Zhi Tao about old times, bringing up the first time Shang Zhi Tao went on a shoot and their car broke down in the middle of nowhere.
"Remember how your voice trembled when you called me? You were terrified," Lumi recounted with a laugh.The latter part of the story was about Luan Nian calling her to praise her bravery.
"I remember! I was too timid back then!" Shang Zhi Tao and Lumi were drinking merrily together. She took a bite of the dish, only to find it had gone cold. She immediately shouted, "Boss lady! Heat up the dishes!"
Da Zhai, hearing the call, walked over to take the dishes away and slapped her on the head: "You brat! Drink less!"
Shang Zhi Tao shrank her neck and whined, "Mom! There are so many leaders and friends here!"
"Well done!" Lumi shook her head in approval of Da Zhai, then said to Luan Nian, "This shop was opened by Flora. The boss lady just now is Flora's mother. This is a popular restaurant in Bingcheng. Don't be fooled by its small storefront—it's quite famous. Flora is the best." Lumi gave a thumbs-up.
Luan Nian remained expressionless, neither touching his chopsticks nor drinking. However, when Da Zhai came to serve the dishes and smiled at him, he managed to force a smile in return.
Lumi raised an eyebrow imperceptibly, thinking, You could at least be a little more stubborn! Don't force a smile for her mother!
As Luan Nian listened to Shang Zhi Tao and Lumi talk about the hardships of starting a business over the past few years, he downed his drink and stood up to put on his coat when she mentioned, "Once, I drank too much and had to get an IV." He asked Song Qiu Han beside him, "Want to go for the second round?"
"What second round?" Song Qiu Han called him out, as he hadn't had enough of the drama yet. The two of them sat at the same table without even glancing at each other. When they did look, it was only a fleeting glance, as if the other were some kind of monster or a sworn enemy.
There was a hint of trying too hard to hide something.
"Strip show. You're not going?"
"I'm in." Song Qiu Han stood up and smiled at the other three: "See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
As Luan Nian and Song Qiu Han walked out, Shang Zhi Tao glanced at them and thought, The door of this tavern is just too short. Then she turned back to chat and drink with Lumi.
Outside, Song Qiu Han caught up with Luan Nian and asked, "Where are we going to watch the strip show?"
Luan Nian glanced at him but said nothing.
"No strip show?" Song Qiu Han pressed.
"Did you report to Lin Chun'er?"
"She wouldn't mind. She might even be more enthusiastic about it than I am." Song Qiu Han deliberately teased Luan Nian: "I guess that's what trust between people in love looks like?"
"Let's go back to the hotel. I have a headache."
Luan Nian glanced back at Shang Zhi Tao's little tavern. She had decorated it with a warm, lively atmosphere—red lanterns hung at the entrance, contrasting with the white snow; outside the checkered floor-to-ceiling windows was the cold winter, while inside was a world of warmth and bustle. She had put a lot of effort into it.
Back then, when she was at his place, she would try every trick to coax him into cooking. She said she wanted to be waited on hand and foot. No matter what she did, she took it seriously—except for cooking. Occasionally, when she tried to make noodles, she would turn the kitchen into a battlefield. Yet, this same woman had opened a little tavern, with her mother personally overseeing it. So now, she no longer needed a man who could cook. Because the best food was right beside her, right under her nose.
"When she mentioned drinking too much at social events and needing an IV, you got up and left. Did it hurt you?" Song Qiu Han asked him.
Luan Nian pursed his lips and said nothing. It wasn't just that it hurt him—it made him angry. How many times had he told her not to drink if she couldn't handle it? That she could still do business without drinking? But she just wouldn't listen.
"What does it have to do with me?" Luan Nian asked him.Song Qiu Han thought Luan Nian was truly an idiot. He felt distressed, turned, and left—but in others' eyes, it looked like he simply disliked the topic or was looking down on someone. Having been friends for so many years, Song Qiu Han understood Luan Nian, but not everyone could. In others' eyes, he was just a sharp-tongued, ruthless bad person.
Song Qiu Han felt Luan Nian didn't understand, and truth be told, he himself hadn't understood either. It was only after reuniting with Lin Chun'er that he gradually realized love needed to be expressed directly. It was something everyone had to learn.
"Is Shang Zhi Tao married?" Song Qiu Han suddenly asked him. Since falling in love, he had changed a bit—probably corrupted by Lin Chun'er—always liking to twist the knife in people's hearts.
Luan Nian glared at him. "None of your damn business."
After a moment, he added, "None of my damn business either."
Song Qiu Han chuckled softly, and the two returned to their respective rooms.
Luan Nian went to the gym for weightlifting and cardio, returning to his room late at night. There were several missed calls on his phone, all from numbers in Bingcheng. He picked one to call back, and a male voice answered, "Hello, may I ask if this is Mr. Luan?"
"Yes."
"Mr. Luan, hello. I'm Fu Dong from the event execution company for this project. I'd like to schedule a time with you tomorrow to meet and discuss. What time would be convenient for you?"
"Ten o'clock."
"Alright. We'll pick you up at ten then. Have a good night."
"Thank you."
The people Shang Zhi Tao brought along were polite and spoke clearly. When she led project teams in the northwest, it was the same—the entire team resembled her: modest, courteous, and efficient. Back then, Luan Nian thought she had a talent for leading teams and even considered perhaps entrusting a small department to her, but the timing was never right.
After hanging up, Luan Nian returned another call. The phone rang a few times before a slightly muffled voice answered, "Hello." It sounded as if the person was standing in wind and snow, and the voice pierced straight into Luan Nian's heart. Their last call had been over three years ago.
Luan Nian held the phone away, glanced at the number, and tossed out a single word: "Speak."
"Mr. Luan."
"Lumei doesn't have the habit of calling people 'Mr.' or 'Ms.,'" Luan Nian said.
"Luke." Shang Zhi Tao cursed him silently in her heart—what a foul mouth!
"You're not a Lumei employee either," Luan Nian added.
Shang Zhi Tao sobered up halfway, thinking, If it weren't for the fact that you haven't paid yet, I wouldn't be bothering with you.
"What should I call you then?" Shang Zhi Tao asked him.
"My name is Luan Nian."
"But I don't think we're familiar enough for me to call you by your full name!"
It was the first time Shang Zhi Tao had talked back to Luan Nian, and she suddenly realized how satisfying it was—no wonder he loved picking fights with people all the time!
"Get to the point."
"Just now, my colleague Fu Dong couldn't reach you. He wanted to schedule a time to pick you up tomorrow."
"It's already arranged."
"Alright. Then I won't disturb you further." Just before hanging up, Shang Zhi Tao heard Luan Nian say, "Call me when you're sober next time."
She ignored him and hung up directly.
Luke watched her from the side and let out a bark. Shang Zhi Tao tightened her hat and said to Luke, "Aren't you going to pee?"For Shang Zhi Tao, drinking fell into two categories. One was drinking with people she liked, such as Lumi, Sun Yu, and He Yun; the other was social drinking. Running an event company was incredibly tough, with every day a whirlwind of busyness, and sometimes she even had to roll up her sleeves and move things herself. Once, when a booth setup wasn’t going well, she climbed up a high scaffold herself, only realizing how shaky her legs were after she came down, vowing never to do that again. She only hired young men, because girls couldn’t endure such hardship, and she couldn’t bear to make them suffer through it either. Amid all the hard work, the most exhausting part was the socializing.
Shang Zhi Tao disliked social drinking. She’d much rather curl up in bed and do nothing, but since returning to Bingcheng to start her company, she had to build her network and resources from scratch. The drinking table became the best place for that.
Today, she was happy to drink because her beloved Lumi was there. After Luan Nian left, they chatted about many, many old memories, while Will sat frowning nearby, almost snatching Lumi’s glass away.
While Will was in the restroom, Lumi whispered to her, "My old sweetheart doesn’t like me drinking. I don’t care."
"But you’re clearly afraid of him."
"Nonsense! Who have I ever been afraid of?"
Shang Zhi Tao was happy for Lumi—she and Will were clearly in love. Even when Luan Nian was around, Will hadn’t kept his distance.
Luke came running back after peeing and looked up at her again.
"What are you staring at?"
Luke barked once, "Who were you talking to on the phone just now?"
"You don’t know them."
Bark! "Nonsense!"
Shang Zhi Tao argued with Luke all the way inside, changed her clothes, and lay down on the bed. As soon as she lay down, the alcohol hit her, and she drifted into a heavy, drowsy sleep. Luke jumped onto the bed and barked at her, unusually restless.
Annoyed, Shang Zhi Tao sat up and glared at him. "Luke! Stop barking!"
Luke jumped off the bed and lay down, looking pitiful.
Shang Zhi Tao said to him, "Listen, I won’t let you see him again. Don’t think that by making a fuss, I’ll give in! You’ve finally let go, so don’t pick it back up. A dog can’t walk backward!"
When Luke first returned to Bingcheng, he seemed sick, sitting by the window every day and staring outside. Sometimes, Shang Zhi Tao would call him several times before he’d react.
Old Shang said, "Is Luke sick or something?"
Shang Zhi Tao never answered.
She knew that dogs were like people—at first, leaving someone felt unfamiliar, but slowly, they’d get used to it.
Hadn’t he already gotten better?
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