Shаng Zhitao fеlt а tоuсh оf emotion, hеr еyes rеddening slightly аgаin. Shе wаntеd tо thank him, but Luan Niаn had already gonе insidе. Thе doоr tо thе рrivatе rооm сlоsed, shutting аway all thоsе vulgar rеmarks. Shang Zhitaо took Luаn Nian’s phоnе аnd wеnt оutsidе fоr some аir. Тhe night in Guаngzhоu wаs humid and stifling, аnd she fеlt stiсky with sweаt.
Suddеnly, shе rememberеd that Xin Zhaоzhоu wаs in Shenzhеn, so closе tо hеr. Shang Zhitао thоught humаns wеrе such strаngе and сomрlex сreаturеs—еven аftеr brеаking up, she still wantеd to know how the othеr person wаs doing.
Luan Niаn’s phоnе rang sеveral times, but Shang Zhitao turned it face down, afraid to look, as if doing so would invade his privacy. She wasn’t used to it.
Even when she was dating Xin Zhaozhou, she never looked at his phone.
She stood quietly outside, waiting. After nearly an hour, she saw them walking out, all somewhat drunk, with only Luan Nian appearing relatively sober. Noticing Luan Nian’s gaze fall on her hand, she hurriedly pressed his phone to her ear, pretending to be in a meeting.
Not too foolish.
Luan Nian found her convincing act rather amusing, a slight smile curling at the corner of his lips.
Shang Zhitao pretended to speak a few words into the phone, then put it down and stepped forward. “Apologies, Mr. Zhou. The meeting was quite urgent today, so I was away for a bit too long. Please forgive me.”
Zhou Yuchi, having enjoyed himself thoroughly, squinted at her and said, “No problem, see you next time, Miss Shang.” He raised his hand to rest it on Shang Zhitao’s shoulder, but Luan Nian nudged Apollo forward, making him intercept Zhou Yuchi’s hand. Apollo caught on quickly, casually slinging an arm around Zhou Yuchi’s shoulder.
“I don’t think we’ve had enough fun yet. How about we find another place to sit for a while?” Apollo suggested. Zhou Yuchi, being someone who loved to party and was accustomed to being entertained by clients, nodded. “Sure, sure.”
“I won’t be joining. I have another meeting tonight. Enjoy yourself, Mr. Zhou,” Luan Nian bid Zhou Yuchi farewell politely.
Apollo waved to the others. “I’ll see Mr. Zhou off. See you all at headquarters.” And so, they headed off for the second round.
Just like that, the gathering ended. Shang Zhitao watched their car drive away and returned Luan Nian’s phone to him. “Thank you.”
Luan Nian didn’t say “you’re welcome.” It was still for the same reason—he didn’t want to help, and no matter what you did, he wouldn’t. But if he did help, he didn’t care whether you were grateful or not.
“Did anyone call me?” Luan Nian asked her.
“I didn’t look,” Shang Zhitao said earnestly. “It wouldn’t be polite.”
Luan Nian probably knew she wasn’t lying. He lowered his gaze to look at her. “If you can’t handle alcohol, never drink. That’s my advice to you.”
“Why?” Shang Zhitao asked, not understanding.
“Figure out the reason yourself.”
Luan Nian had drunk a lot today and wanted to take a walk along the Pearl River. He said to Shang Zhitao, “I’m going for a walk.”
“I’d like to walk too,” Shang Zhitao quickly added. “I’ve never been to Guangzhou before, so I’d like to take this chance to see the Pearl River at night.” After saying this, she ran into a nearby cold drink shop, bought two cold drinks, and rushed back out to hand one to Luan Nian. “My treat this time.”
Luan Nian reached out to take it, took a big sip, and turned to walk away.
Shang Zhitao followed behind Luan Nian as they strolled. The breeze along the Pearl River was truly gentle, tousling her hair, much like the nights she loved along the Qinhuai River. They walked for a long time before finding two adjacent benches to sit on, slowly finishing their cold drinks.The Pearl River banks were lined with long-legged beauties. Shang Zhi Tao wondered if Luan Nian enjoyed the view, sneaking glances at him. He, however, clearly accustomed to such sights, remained unmoved.
Her phone suddenly rang. Flustered, she answered it. Lumi asked in a casual, slang-filled tone, "Where are you, sis?"
"I'm with Luke by the Pearl River," she answered truthfully.
"What's up? Staying out tonight? Found a shortcut to workplace success?" Lumi teased her.
Shang Zhi Tao instinctively glanced at Luan Nian and lowered her voice. "No, I'll be back soon."
Lumi giggled. "What's the hurry? Chat with Luke a bit more. I heard he's about to get promoted. Pave the way for yourself."
Shang Zhi Tao didn't know how to respond. She wasn't concerned about whether Luan Nian would get promoted; she only cared about whether she would be laid off by him. But then again, if Luan Nian got promoted, would it be easier for him to fire her?
The thought suddenly terrified Shang Zhi Tao. She had even lost her temper with him that morning!
Shang Zhi Tao was overthinking it.
In Luan Nian's eyes, her outburst was like a little kitten baring its teeth at him. He could subdue her with a single finger.
Her guilty, stolen glances fell into his peripheral vision, making him vaguely feel that Shang Zhi Tao wanted to do something with him. But Luan Nian wasn't interested in Shang Zhi Tao. To him, she was too ordinary. That momentary lapse earlier was just a man's nature.
Ordinariness wasn't a sin; it was just that he worked in creativity and preferred visually striking women.
"Let's go," he said, standing up and walking ahead. It was hard to get a taxi by the Pearl River, so they had to walk a stretch. Shang Zhi Tao got up and followed him. Now he moved like a wound-up spring, his long legs taking quick, steady steps as if the alcohol from earlier had gone to waste. Shang Zhi Tao jogged to keep up. "Luke, I can't keep up," she panted slightly. "Could... could you slow down?"
"If you can't keep up, take a taxi yourself."
...
Why was this person so strange? He was fine just a moment ago, and now he was giving her the cold shoulder? Shang Zhi Tao cursed him in her heart as a weirdo and simply stopped. Fine, she'd take a taxi herself—what was the big deal?
She was being naive.
Where was it so easy to get a taxi by the Pearl River at night? The two of them stood at opposite ends, each trying to hail a cab. After more than ten minutes, the lucky Luan Nian finally got one. Shang Zhi Tao's temper vanished instantly. She ran over, opened the door, and got in, smiling at Luan Nian. "Thank you for letting me ride along." She knew when to yield and didn't feel the slightest bit embarrassed about backing down.
Luan Nian ignored her but didn't kick her out either, instead focusing on replying to private messages on his phone.
Shang Zhi Tao endured until they reached the destination, jumped out of the car, and said respectfully, "Thank you, Luke, for teaching me so much today, and thank you for letting me ride with you." Then she turned and fled.
She ran into the elevator lobby, swiped her room card for the floor, quickly pressed the close button, and let out a long sigh of relief.
When she entered the room, Lumi was wearing a face mask and a strappy nightgown slit up to her thighs, her long legs propped on the table. As Shang Zhi Tao walked in, she whistled. "Not bad, girl. Strolling along the Pearl River with Luke. Can you get promoted tomorrow?"
Shang Zhi Tao raised her hands in surrender. "Mentor Lumi, I have a request."
"Speak freely."
"I only ask that you never mention Luke again. I bow to you.""What about Luan Nian?" Lumi continued teasing her.
"Don't..."
Lumi pulled off her face mask and burst out laughing: "So scared of him, huh? How pathetic. Let me teach you a trick."
"What?"
"Any man you're afraid of, find a way to sleep with him. After you do, you'll realize all men are pretty much the same."
Shang Zhi Tao laughed at her words: "Then you're afraid of Luke too, why don't you sleep with him?"
"I'm afraid my boyfriend would chop me to pieces."
Chickened out.
Shang Zhi Tao took her pajamas from the suitcase and put them on. Her pajamas were a mid-sleeve nightgown with a pink butterfly collar, very cute. She felt a bit embarrassed changing in front of Lumi and wanted to go to the bathroom. Lumi stopped her: "Hey hey hey! We're both women, it's not like we haven't seen it all before!"
True enough.
Gritting her teeth, Shang Zhi Tao took off her dress. The doves on her chest fluttered slightly, and Lumi exclaimed: "Wow! Wow! You've got such treasures!" She pointed at Shang Zhi Tao: "You're full of treasures!"
Shang Zhi Tao hurriedly pulled on her nightgown, covering her chest with her hands, looking somewhat flustered at Lumi. Lumi went to wash her face, passing by her and clicking her tongue: "Shang Zhi Tao, remember this—you're a woman with nuclear weapons. Don't surrender easily."
Shang Zhi Tao didn't understand anything about nuclear weapons. The day had felt like a battle, and she just wanted to take a shower and sleep well, then continue working tomorrow. Tomorrow was something to look forward to because she finally wouldn't have to be with Luan Nian.
Luan Nian was unpredictable. He was neither warm nor cold toward people, and he wasn't particularly good or bad to her. Sometimes Shang Zhi Tao wanted to ask him for advice but always worried her questions were too foolish.
Yes, in front of Luan Nian, she felt like a fool. Even as a fool, she had repeatedly harbored improper thoughts about him today.
When she and Lumi turned off the lights and lay in their respective beds, Shang Zhi Tao's doubts still hadn't faded. She couldn't help but ask Lumi: "Lumi, have you ever felt stupid?"
"Why would I feel stupid?"
"I've been feeling stupid these past few days."
The darkness gave her courage. For the first time, Shang Zhi Tao opened up to Lumi. She felt she had often been confused during her short time in society: "Do you know why I'm afraid of Luke?"
"Why?"
"The boss interview I wrote was real. During the interview, Luke advised me to change jobs; he said it again later. He thinks I'm not good enough." Shang Zhi Tao felt a bit sad. She knew her resume was the least impressive among all her colleagues who joined at the same time, but was she really so bad that Luan Nian saw no redeeming qualities in her? She was confused.
"Luke told you twice to resign?" Lumi asked her in the dark.
"Yes. So should I change jobs?"
"You shouldn't change jobs. Do you know what you should do? You should sleep now, wake up happily tomorrow morning, and treat Luke's words like they're nothing." Lumi felt a bit sorry for Shang Zhi Tao. Just after joining, she had caught Luke's attention. If it were any other boss, it might be fine, but who is Luke? Once the appointment comes through in a while, he'll be managing the entire China branch. But she couldn't tell Shang Zhi Tao this now—Shang Zhi Tao was already trembling with fear.Shang Zhi Tao's first workplace mentor, Lumi, was a very good person.
She didn't possess extraordinary talent, but she had decent luck. She had already fallen asleep in bed, but Lumi was still wide awake, thinking about how to help this young girl stay. What a good girl she was—hardworking, uncomplaining, with a top-notch temperament and character. Why would they want to fire her?
From dawn till late at night that day, Shang Zhi Tao slept deeply and soundly. After all, she was just in her early twenties. When she opened her eyes the next day, she felt refreshed and invigorated, radiating youthful energy. Before going to bed, Lumi had sent her a message saying she wouldn't be going for breakfast. Shang Zhi Tao tiptoed through her morning routine, washed up, put on a loose T-shirt, and headed to the restaurant with a clean, makeup-free face. She hadn't eaten much the night before and was truly starving in the morning, so she loaded up her plate with plenty of food.
Carrying her tray, she looked for a seat and spotted Luan Nian sitting by the window. He had drunk heavily the night before, but there was no trace of it this morning. A ray of morning light fell on the table in front of him, giving him a touch of warmth.
But no matter how warm he seemed, he was still someone Shang Zhi Tao neither wanted nor dared to provoke. Moving quickly, she ducked behind a pillar and then scanned the room for a corner. Her evasive maneuver happened to catch Luan Nian's eye—sneaky and odd.
Shang Zhi Tao really couldn't rise to the occasion.
Luan Nian had seen too many people who knew what they wanted. In situations like this, they would walk straight up to him and ask, "Luke, are you alone?" They'd strike up a conversation about anything—their thoughts on their current work, their career plans. When he first started working at the U.S. headquarters, during a team-building event, he witnessed a colleague pay out of pocket to upgrade their seat just to sit next to the boss. That's how the workplace was: there was only one boss. If you hid in the background, you couldn't expect to be noticed.
Such a great opportunity, and she ran away like a stray dog.
Shang Zhi Tao, who couldn't rise to the occasion, sat in the corner of the restaurant, leisurely enjoying her breakfast and feeling a bit pleased with herself for successfully avoiding Luan Nian. As long as she managed to dodge him, it was another day she hadn't been fired. She amused herself with this thought.
But good times never last long. Just as she popped a blueberry into her mouth, she saw someone sit down across from her. Looking up, she saw Luan Nian and paused for a second before greeting him, "Good morning, Luke. Have you eaten?"
"Where are the meeting minutes?"
"...I sent them to you last night."
"Sent them where?"
"To your email."
Luan Nian took out his phone, opened his email app, and tossed it in front of Shang Zhi Tao. "Which one is it?"
Shang Zhi Tao had seen the "sent successfully" notification, but there was nothing in Luan Nian's inbox. She was momentarily confused. "Can I go upstairs to get my laptop?"
"If you forgot to send the meeting minutes, you might as well consider handing in your resignation today."
Hearing him say this again, Shang Zhi Tao's good morning mood vanished. "If I didn't send them, I'll resign today." She stood up. "I'll go get my laptop. Please wait a moment."On her way to get the computer, she repeatedly recalled her actions from the night before and the confirmation that the email had been successfully sent. She was certain there was no issue. Carrying the computer downstairs, she returned to the dining room, sat across from Luan Nian, opened the laptop, and checked the sent folder. There was indeed an email she had sent late last night, addressed to "lukelu," not "lukeluan." There was another person at Lumi whose English name was Luke, with the surname Lu.
She pressed her lips tightly together, saying nothing. Luan Nian wasn’t wrong—he really hadn’t received the email. The mistake was hers. She had sent it, but to the wrong person.
“I’m sorry, Luke. I sent it to the wrong person.”
“So,” Luan Nian looked at Shang Zhi Tao, his gaze sharp, “you sent yesterday’s confidential meeting information to someone else? You might as well not have sent it at all.” Luan Nian stood up. “Don’t send the resignation letter to the wrong email address, Flora.”
Shang Zhi Tao didn’t respond. She didn’t dare speak, knowing that if she opened her mouth, she would burst into tears. She didn’t want to cry in front of Luan Nian. In his eyes, she was already the worst, always had been. If she cried, he would only think even less of her.
She clenched her teeth, neither speaking nor crying.
In the years that followed, no matter what storms, doubts, or difficulties she faced, no matter what inner turmoil she endured, she never shed a single tear in front of Luan Nian. She could weep openly in front of friends or family, but never in front of him.
She sat in the dining room for a while longer before returning to her room. Lumi was already awake. Shang Zhi Tao greeted her, and the two of them joined the marketing department’s conference call. The lengthy meeting lasted the entire morning. Alex assigned her a great deal of learning tasks and support work. In addition to continuing to liaise with the planning department and the creative center, she would also learn about PR and marketing events. After the meeting, she saw a message from Luan Nian on her phone: “Still haven’t sent it?”
Thinking he was asking about the resignation letter, she replied, “Sorry, I was in meetings all morning and haven’t had time to write the resignation letter yet.” As if she would have written it even without the meetings. A girl like Shang Zhi Tao, content to applaud others, could also play the rogue quite skillfully. Without the ability to muddle through, she wouldn’t have developed such a resilient mindset. The frustration from the morning had long since vanished.
“Meeting minutes,” Luan Nian replied.
“Oh, oh, oh! I thought you were asking for the resignation letter!”
“?” Luan Nian sent back a question mark. This girl’s mind must be a bit off.
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