Luаn Niаn drоvе tо рick up thе twо drunkеn individuаls.
Оn the way tо drоp Sun Yu off аt home, thе twо slurrеd thеir wоrds in thе car, tаlking about who knows what, yеt sоmehоw theу sееmеd to undеrstаnd еасh othеr.
It was quite strangе.
А little bit оf alcohоl and theу ended uр likе this—trulу imрrеssivе.
With а stern faсе, he еsсоrted Sun Yu uрstairs. Sun Yu hаd lаter bought аn аpаrtment near thе Third Ring Road, whеrе shе lived аlone. Luan Niаn рrеssed hеr fingеr аgаinst thе fingеrprint lосk, helрed hеr to her bеd, pоurеd а glass оf wаtеr, аnd then callеd Lumi: "Your good friend Sun Yu is drunk."
Lumi cursеd, and Luan Nian hеard the rustling оf her рutting оn a dоwn jacket before hanging up.
Lumi arrived in twenty minutes. By then, Shang Zhi Tao had pressed her face against the car window, feeling hot from the alcohol.
Lumi opened the car door to check on her, clicking her tongue: "How impressive." She glanced at Luan Nian’s dark expression and thought Shang Zhi Tao was in for a rough night. Then she turned and ran upstairs.
Luan Nian drove Shang Zhi Tao home. She sat in the passenger seat, fidgeting restlessly. Luan Nian was genuinely annoyed and reached out a hand to pin her against the seat: "If you keep acting up, I’ll throw you out!"
Shang Zhi Tao froze for a moment before suddenly bursting into tears: "You’re so mean. Why are you so mean? Can’t you speak nicely?"
...
Damn.
"Stop crying," Luan Nian said after a while, his tone softening. "Is it because you were acting up that I got angry?" He tried reasoning with a drunk person, but drunk people don’t listen to reason.
"No! You just don’t know how to speak nicely!"
Shang Zhi Tao cried all the way to Luan Nian’s home, tears and snot streaming down her face.
Luan Nian never imagined he’d have to coax a drunk person out of a car like this in his lifetime. Shang Zhi Tao sat in the car crying, while Luan Nian stood outside the door, bending down to pick her up: "No, why are you carrying me? I’m not even close to you."
"Can’t I walk by myself? Why do you need to carry me?"
"You have to apologize to me."
"Apologize for what?"
"You yelled at me earlier."
"I didn’t yell at you."
Shang Zhi Tao let out another wail, leaning back in the seat and crying, tears falling in pairs and snot dripping out. Luan Nian really wanted to strangle her: "Don’t push your luck, Shang Zhi Tao. If you keep this up, you can sleep in the car!"
"This is what men are like. When you’re drunk, they don’t care, they get impatient... and yell..." Shang Zhi Tao continued sobbing softly.
Her crying gave Luan Nian a headache. After a long standoff, he finally knelt on the ground: "Alright, I shouldn’t have raised my voice at you. I apologize."
"Then praise me."
...Luan Nian thought, if I ever let you drink another drop of alcohol, I’ll take your last name: "Praise you for what?"
"For being pretty."
Luan Nian couldn’t help but chuckle: "Fine, you’re especially pretty."
"And smart," Shang Zhi Tao added.
"Yes, and smart."
"And very talented."
"Mhm, very talented."
It took Luan Nian a great deal of effort to get Shang Zhi Tao out of the car. He carried her upstairs, and after just a few steps, she fell asleep. He laid her on the bed, undressed her, wrung out a towel to wipe her face, and gave her water to drink. By the time he finished, it was already late at night. Luke, clean and fresh after a bath, sat at the head of the bed watching them, looking a bit puzzled: "What’s wrong with Mom? Why does she seem a little off?"
"Your mom went crazy today."Luan Nian lay back on the bed, picked up the book by his pillow, and flipped to the page he had been reading. He took out the wish list and glanced at it—this list served as his bookmark, reminding him of where he had left off in the book and also of the aspirations a girl once held for life. He gently placed the list on the table and read a few more pages. Shang Zhi Tao turned over in her sleep, her leg resting on his. Before she could kick him, Luan Nian locked her leg in place with his own. "Even drunk, you can’t stay still!"
In the middle of the night, Shang Zhi Tao turned over again, grasped Luan Nian’s hand, and mumbled, "We all miss you so much." Her voice carried a hint of sorrow.
Luan Nian squinted, watching her in the darkness. He couldn’t see clearly, but his fingertips brushed against the corner of her eye—it was damp. She must have had a dream that saddened her.
Many people like to use the phrase "time passes and circumstances change," often followed by "things remain, but people are no longer the same."
Luan Nian knew who Shang Zhi Tao meant by "we" and who she meant by "you." They had never spoken about it since their reunion, but when Luan Nian opened a book from the shelf in Shang Zhi Tao’s home and saw the reading notes inside, he knew who they belonged to.
After a restless night, Luan Nian woke up the next morning in a foul mood. Shang Zhi Tao came downstairs to find him and, seeing him running on the treadmill, approached with a smile.
"Did you sleep well?" she asked.
Luan Nian glanced at her without a word and continued running.
"Are you in a bad mood?" Shang Zhi Tao pressed.
He ignored her until he finished his run, then said, "Do you know what your alcohol tolerance is now?"
"My tolerance is pretty good these days."
"How much did you drink yesterday?"
"I don’t remember."
Luan Nian picked up his phone, opened a video, and handed it to her. "See for yourself."
Shang Zhi Tao watched a disheveled, drunken version of herself, tears and snot smeared across her face, refusing to let Luan Nian touch her. She accused him of not being gentle enough and criticized him for not speaking properly.
Shang Zhi Tao laughed at herself. "No more drinking, no more drinking," she explained. "I only drink like that with Sun Yu."
"Not with Fu Dong?"
"Not with Lumi?"
"Not with He Yun or Shang Zhi Shu?"
Luan Nian fired off questions one after another, his displeasure evident. It wasn’t just because Shang Zhi Tao had acted out while drunk, but also because of what she had said in her sleep.
"I drank a bit too much yesterday. It hasn’t happened before," Shang Zhi Tao apologized with a smile. "Is it exhausting to take care of a drunk person?"
"No."
"But you look tired."
Luan Nian fell silent and headed upstairs to shower. Shang Zhi Tao followed him. "Did I snore or kick you in my sleep? Is that why you didn’t sleep well?"
"No, you talked in your sleep."
Luan Nian undressed while looking at her. "The most annoying thing about you when you’re drunk is talking in your sleep."
"What did I say?"
"You said..." Luan Nian paused. "You said you love me very much." A mischievous smile tugged at his lips as he closed the door.
He began showering, and Shang Zhi Tao listened from outside, imagining him under the water. Unable to resist, she cracked the door open and peeked inside.
Luan Nian stood under the showerhead, water streaming from his hair down his face. A droplet hung from the tip of his nose for a long moment before falling, tracing a path over his shoulders, chest, and down to his defined V-line.
Shang Zhi Tao stared, mesmerized, swallowing hard as she silently scolded herself for being such a pervert.Under her unrestrained gaze, Luan Nian swelled. Seeing her motionless, he said to her, "Either come in or get lost."
Of course, Shang Zhi Tao wanted to go in, but she was physically inconvenienced. She smiled and said, "My apologies." As she closed the door, she heard Luan Nian curse.
In high spirits, she sat on the bed waiting for the "handsome man to emerge from his bath," even thinking that among all the good-looking men on short video platforms, few had Luan Nian's style. So, if she ever went bankrupt again, could she make money by filming Luan Nian?
After Luan Nian came out, Shang Zhi Tao asked him, "What are we doing today?"
"Sleeping in."
Luan Nian said casually, lying down on the bed. Seeing Shang Zhi Tao still standing, he pulled her down to lie beside him. "Sleep for a while first."
"And then?"
"Then I have plans with some friends tonight. Want to join?"
"I already made plans to go shopping with Lumi tonight."
"Okay."
Shang Zhi Tao really had plans to go shopping with Lumi. Since she rarely came to Beijing, she had arranged it long before her trip. In the evening, Luan Nian dropped her off at the shopping area where she was meeting Lumi and went alone to his appointment.
Today's gathering was organized by Tan Mian in the morning. Hearing that Shang Zhi Tao was in Beijing, he specifically reminded Luan Nian to bring her along. When Luan Nian arrived, everyone else was already there. Lin Chun'er stood up and ran to the door, but seeing no one behind him, she asked, "Where is she?"
"She had something else."
"If I had known Shang Zhi Tao wasn't coming with you, Xiao Mei and I wouldn't have come either."
"She had plans with a friend," Luan Nian explained.
Neither Lin Chun'er nor Xiao Mei enjoyed attending men's gatherings. It was only because Song Qiu Han and the others said today was different—the much-anticipated Ms. Shang Zhi Tao was in Beijing for a meeting, and they could finally meet her—that they agreed to come.
Luan Nian didn't say a word.
He barely spoke throughout the entire meal. Shang Zhi Tao didn't seem like other girlfriends, eager to share things with their boyfriends. She was out shopping and hadn't sent him a single message.
Lin Chun'er secretly took a photo of Luan Nian and sent it to Shang Zhi Tao: "Ms. Shang Zhi Tao, your boyfriend is looking gloomy."
Shang Zhi Tao was helping Lumi try on clothes when she saw the message and laughed. "What's wrong with him?"
"Probably jealous because everyone else has a girlfriend or wife to chat with?"
Lin Chun'er was sharp enough to read Luan Nian's expression and understand why he was unhappy. He wanted to introduce his girlfriend to his friends, but she hadn't come. Men could be complicated at times, but sometimes they were also very simple.
Lumi came out of the fitting room and saw Shang Zhi Tao replying to messages. "What's going on?" she asked.
"Nothing."
Shang Zhi Tao told her about Luan Nian inviting her to dinner with his friends. She hadn't thought much of it at the time.
Lumi went to pay and then said to her, "Shang Zhi Tao, you should have gone today."
"Why? I haven't seen you in so long."
Lumi draped an arm over her shoulder. "Are you stupid? Why wouldn't you go when that stubborn mule wanted to introduce you to his friends?"
"Shang Zhi Tao, let me tell you something. Don't waver while you're in a relationship. You've never been that kind of person, so don't make things difficult for yourself. Today's situation is your fault. You should have stood me up, dressed up beautifully, and gone to meet his friends. Why wouldn't you go? Are you not good enough to be seen? If you don't go and make your mark, there will be others willing to step in! With luke's personality, even though he's in his forties, plenty of people still want to sleep with him. You need to infiltrate, understand? Seep into every corner of his life."
"And then?""Then make him think of you all the time."
"For example?"
"For example, get along well with his friends so they'll mention you often; for example, leave your things at his place so he thinks of you whether he's eating or taking a dump; for example, give him underwear so he thinks of you whenever he takes his pants off..." Lumi rattled off one example after another, making Shang Zhi Tao laugh so hard she nearly doubled over.
"Did you take a love training course?" Shang Zhi Tao asked Lumi.
"Did stubborn donkey training teach you to be sarcastic?" Lumi shot back, then gave her a push: "Go on, Shang Zhi Tao. Be firm, like you used to be."
Lumi was sharp too—she could see the issue between Shang Zhi Tao and Luan Nian: Shang Zhi Tao wasn't as resolute as before. Or perhaps her resolve no longer shone as clearly and brightly on her face as it had in her twenties.
Shang Zhi Tao secretly messaged Lin Chun'er: "Chun'er, where are you guys?"
Lin Chun'er sent her a location pin.
She took a taxi there.
By the time she arrived, it was nearly nine. She texted Luan Nian: "Hello, can I join your gathering now?"
"?"
"Can you come out and get me?"
Luan Nian felt as if a light had suddenly pierced the gloom that had shadowed his mood for hours, and he couldn't help but smile. The others looked at him: ""
He stood up and walked out of the restaurant, spotting Shang Zhi Tao standing there. "Weren't you going shopping?"
"I was going shopping, but I also wanted to have dinner with my boyfriend's friends."
"It's all leftovers now."
"That doesn't matter."
"What does matter?"
"Being with you matters."
Shang Zhi Tao wasn't one to constantly spout sweet nothings; when she did say them occasionally, they came from the heart. Luan Nian wasn't someone who listened to just anyone's sweet talk, but he ate it up when it came from Shang Zhi Tao.
"Let's go." He headed inside, but just before entering, he suddenly took Shang Zhi Tao's hand.
Shang Zhi Tao's heart skipped a beat, and her face flushed bright red.
"Why are you blushing? Can't we hold hands?" Luan Nian asked knowingly, tightening his grip on her hand as he led her inside.
Lin Chun'er, ever the mischief-maker, took the lead in teasing them, whooping and hollering.
Everyone in the restaurant turned to look at them, and Shang Zhi Tao's palms grew damp with sweat. Over the years, she'd accomplished a few small feats—traveling alone, hosting trilingual press conferences, managing billion-yuan projects; she'd met all sorts of people, from provincial leaders to ordinary street vendors—but she'd never felt this nervous before.
Her fingertips even felt a little cold.
Luan Nian led her to the table, and the man who had been silent for half the meal suddenly radiated confidence: "Let me formally introduce everyone to my girlfriend, Shang Zhi Tao."
"Hello, everyone." Shang Zhi Tao's face flushed again, as if she'd reverted to her early twenties—inexperienced, pure, and innocent.
Lin Chun'er stood up to hug her: "Hello, internet friend."
"Hello, charity director." Shang Zhi Tao replied earnestly.
Xiao Mei also hugged her: "Hello, trilingual learning genius."
"Hello, archaeology expert."
Tan Mian shook her hand: "I feel like I've seen you somewhere before."
"That year, you and Luan Nian sang 'I Hate Myself for Loving You' at our company anniversary celebration. I was in the audience maintaining order. The female colleagues were pretty wild."
Lin Chun'er pointed at their clasped hands: "So, can Luan Nian let go now?"
"No."
Luan Nian refused, pulling out a chair for Shang Zhi Tao to sit right beside him.For a long time, Luan Nian did not enjoy attending gatherings where partners were allowed. Song Qiu Han was always inseparable from Lin Chun'er, giving her a flower or forbidding her from showing her waist; Chen Kuan Nian often played around with Xiao Mei. He often felt a sense of loss on such occasions, thinking of the girl who would try to avoid him whenever he answered the phone.
Love needs to seep in.
Like sunlight entering through the gaps in the curtains, slowly filling the entire room.
It seeps into each other's lives this way, sharing friends, worries, hobbies, traveling through mountains and rivers together, and also building a good life for two.
Luan Nian never understood nor cared to do this before, but time taught him these things.
He felt he could do better.
Starting today.
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