The Early Spring

Lumi kерt hеr wоrd аnd reallу gаvе Shаng Zhitаo a bikini. Bright rеd, thrеe-piеce, аs dаzzling аs соuld bе.

Shang Zhitaо followed behind Lumi with her hands сrоssed оver hеr сhеst, thе intensе sunlight bеаting dоwn оn her skin until it fеlt hot. But not аs hоt as hеr face—this wаs too muсh. Yet therе wеrе sо mаnу girls wеaring bikinis on thе bеaсh, аnd hеr attеmpt tо сover uр sеemеd a bit unnecеssary.

Lumi turned аrоund аnd snaрped at hеr: "Таke уоur hаnds dоwn! Nо сovеring uр!"

"No, nо." Shang Zhitаo wavеd her hаnds, thеn quiсkly рut thеm bасk over her сhest. "I’m not comfortаble."

"As if no оne elsе has thеm!" Lumi рointеd into the distance. "See that? That girl’s figure is way worse than yours, and she’s still having a great time. It’s your own body—do whatever you want with it."

"Okay."

Shang Zhitao finally lowered her hands, and Lumi patted her back. "Chest out!"

Shang Zhitao’s figure, usually hidden under clothes, now shone brilliantly in the sunlight. The most striking part was her curves—her lovely breasts were somewhat full and ample, yet at her waistline, they tapered in softly, only to flare out again at her hips.

It instantly made her look stunning, like a fresh, dewy beauty. Walking along the beach with Lumi, she drew countless glances.

"Such a pretty girl—what kind of man would be worthy of her?" Lumi teased her, pointing at a foreigner in the distance. "See that one? Based on my years of experience, he’s probably well-endowed."

"Endowed where?" Shang Zhitao genuinely didn’t understand.

"Longer means stronger." Lumi chuckled and pulled Shang Zhitao toward the sun umbrellas. "Let’s find a spot to lie down and sunbathe. That handsome foreign guy will come over soon—he’s already glanced at you a few times."

"Fine. Just come back to the room later then." Shang Zhitao played along. After all, when the two of them talked privately, they were unfiltered and held nothing back, never taking it seriously.

Under one of the sun umbrellas lay a person with a newspaper covering his face, seemingly asleep. There were three umbrellas, but he had to lie under the middle one, separating the other two—quite annoying. Lumi went over to ask him to switch spots. The man lifted the newspaper from his face, looked at Lumi, then at Shang Zhitao. "Letting loose, are we?" It was Luan Nian.

Shang Zhitao suddenly flushed, too embarrassed to look at Luan Nian. She blamed herself for wearing so little—it felt strange. But Luan Nian didn’t pay her any extra attention. Instead, he smiled at Lumi. "Some say short men have their advantages too. Your earlier statement was a bit narrow-minded." Then he lay back on the lounge chair, ignoring them.

He had been very busy the past few days and hadn’t slept well. He’d also been meaning to soak up some sun by the sea to boost his calcium and relax for a few days. But he’d only been lying there a short while when he overheard Lumi and Shang Zhitao planning to pick up a foreign guy. He laughed inwardly at how ridiculous they were—two country girls trying to aim too high. When he lifted the newspaper, he saw how they were dressed, frowned slightly, then lay back down, covering his face with the newspaper and ignoring them.

He appreciated women who dared to show their charm, but Shang Zhitao wasn’t included in that category. Luan Nian felt displeased but said nothing.

There was another empty chair farther away, but that would put the two girls too far apart. Since Luan Nian clearly had no intention of moving, they each took a chair on either side of him.Lumi suddenly felt shy now, covering her vital parts with a towel. That rare rebellious streak in Shang Zhi Tao acted up again—she refused to cover herself, simply lying there, curious to see if the foreign hottie would actually come.

She even lit an imaginary incense stick in her heart, praying for the handsome guy to hurry over. As if his arrival would somehow let her hold her head high.

But the foreign hottie never showed up, leaving Shang Zhi Tao a bit disheartened. She messaged Lumi: "I’m going to buy coconuts. Do you want one?"

"Yes! Get one for your girl."

Shang Zhi Tao stood up and left. Now she wasn’t afraid anymore. Lumi was right—her body was her own. She could reveal it whenever she pleased, pleasing herself, not others, including Luan Nian.

Sometimes understanding a truth was just that simple. She stood in front of the coconut stall, watching the vendor crack open coconuts, when she heard someone greet her in clumsy Chinese. Turning around, she saw the foreign hottie.

He said, "Hello, I saw you earlier."

Shang Zhi Tao suddenly laughed out loud. "I know."

She couldn’t fake surprise—she just knew. The foreign boy grew a bit shy instead, rubbing the back of his head as he smiled. "Can I buy coconuts for you and your friend?"

"Sure, thank you."

The two walked back holding coconuts. The boy asked when she was leaving and about her plans for the next few days. Shang Zhi Tao answered each question. Before parting, he said to her, "You’re really beautiful. If there’s a chance, maybe we could have a meal together."

She replied, "Sure, thank you."

So direct praise from the opposite sex could be this delightful—Shang Zhi Tao finally understood. As she walked back, she saw Lumi staring at her in surprise and threw her a flirtatious wink. Placing the coconut in Lumi’s hand, Lumi pointed at Luan Nian, as if asking, "Didn’t you get one for him?"

Shang Zhi Tao shrugged. Why should I?

Why buy one for him? For hogging the middle lounge chair without moving?

Lumi pointed at her phone. Shang Zhi Tao opened it to see a message from Lumi: "Don’t provoke the jinx. While you were buying coconuts, he took a call and flew into a rage."

Oh.

Shang Zhi Tao took a few sips of her coconut, lay down on the lounge chair, put in her earphones, covered herself with a towel, and closed her eyes to listen to music. During that period, she needed to listen to music obsessively—any song would do. Deep down, there was a small void that nothing could fill.

All because Luan Nian had said on the phone, "Then I’ll bring flowers to see you," and then actually gave Zang Yao a bouquet. Just that one small thing.

The sunlight in Phuket was truly wonderful—scorching on the skin, the humid sea breeze brushing her face. It was perfect for sleeping. When Shang Zhi Tao opened her eyes, the sun had already set. Picking up her phone, she saw a message from Lumi: "I’m going to check the dinner menu first—Alex assigned this to me. Come to the west side of the hotel on the beach when you wake up. We’ll have dinner there."

"Okay, I’m awake."

Shang Zhi Tao replied to the message and sat up, gazing at the sunset in Phuket.

The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the beach red, the sparkling seawater shimmering like stars scattered by the heavens. She couldn’t think of any poetry to describe the scene before her, only sighing inwardly: So beautiful.

She was completely mesmerized.Hearing movement from the lounge chair beside her, she turned her head and saw Luan Nian waking up. Shang Zhi Tao greeted him: "Are you awake, luke? Lumi said dinner will be in half an hour."

Luan Nian’s gaze fell on Shang Zhi Tao’s bikini top, then he pointed toward the foreign girls playing beach volleyball in the distance. "See? Bikinis suit them." Those girls were exceptionally athletic, a beauty different from that of Eastern women.

If it were before, Shang Zhi Tao would have felt ashamed, but today she was different. She understood that no matter how she dressed, it was to please herself and had nothing to do with anyone else. Her gentle, pretty eyes held a smile as she spoke word by word: "I know they look good, but I like wearing this. It has nothing to do with others."

Shang Zhi Tao stood up and walked toward her room. She didn’t care how Luan Nian saw her. After all, Luan Nian had seen so many beautiful women; no matter how she looked, she wouldn’t earn a single word of praise from him.

As she walked toward her room, she heard hurried footsteps behind her. Turning to look, she was pushed into the adjacent room by the person approaching, so quickly that she couldn’t dodge in time. Her hands pressed between them, all her defiance vanished, and her voice even trembled: "Someone might see."

"Don’t dress like this again."

"I’m happy, I like it."

Luan Nian’s hand slid beneath her bikini bottom, pressing down hard, and he bit her shoulder fiercely, like an animal. He truly bit with force, the sharp pain making Shang Zhi Tao feel fear, and she finally relented: "I won’t wear it again."

The anger in Luan Nian’s heart subsided by more than half, but his hand refused to withdraw. In the dim light, he looked into Shang Zhi Tao’s eyes—she seemed to hold an indescribable grievance. This softened Luan Nian’s heart, and he said something he would never have uttered before, even if beaten to death: "I don’t like other men looking at you like that."

"Because you look damn good today."

Shang Zhi Tao bit her lip and didn’t speak. She knew that if she opened her mouth, she might cry. Luan Nian had said she looked good—how rare, so rare it made her heart ache. Her hand pressed against his, which still hadn’t withdrawn, her brows slightly furrowed, her breathing uneven. Her trembling lips sought his, her tongue offered to him, letting him fiercely envelop it and draw it into his mouth.

The ringing of the phone made them separate in a panic. Luan Nian went to the bedside to answer the call, his eyes still on Shang Zhi Tao. He calmed down, realizing he had lost his composure just now, bringing her into his room under such circumstances. If they weren’t careful, how much trouble could it bring them? He could handle it calmly himself, but what about her? She’d probably break down.

After hanging up the phone, he walked to the door and opened it, seeing the hallway empty.

Just like that, they parted, both feeling a little lost.

Shang Zhi Tao returned to her room and changed into a spaghetti-strap dress. Remembering the shoulder Luan Nian had bitten, she added a cover-up over the dress.

The beach BBQ was exceptionally lively. The company was generous, with lobster, crab, cocktails—everything one could want. Everyone stood there waiting for Luan Nian to raise his glass, but he only said: "Everyone has worked hard. A special bonus will be included in next month’s pay. Have fun."

Everyone applauded and cheered, opened drinks, clinked glasses, took a simple sip, and then went to the buffet table to get food. They enjoyed seafood by the candlelight on the tables, with the sea breeze blowing—utterly delightful.

Lumi shared a piece of cake with Shang Zhi Tao, wiping the cream from the corner of her mouth with her fingertip, and suddenly asked her: "Did luke give you a hard time after I left?"

"Huh?"“Over by the lounge chair, he didn’t get angry at you or anything, did he?”

“No.”

“That’s good.” Lumi felt relieved. “You have no idea, when you went to buy the coconut, he was furious. He yelled into the phone, ‘If you can do the job, do it. If you can’t, get lost.’”

Luan Nian had never spoken like that before, no matter how angry he got. He was just strict.

“What happened?” Shang Zhi Tao asked.

“I don’t know.” Lumi shrugged.

Shang Zhi Tao turned to look for Luan Nian. He was sitting across from Alex at a table by the sea, the two of them deep in conversation about something, both looking very serious.

A colleague was weaving through the crowd with a camera, asking everyone to say hello and mentioning that they would edit it into a travel promotional video later—a classic team-building activity from the marketing department.

The other colleagues gave perfunctory nods toward the camera, but only Shang Zhi Tao earnestly greeted it: “Hello, I’m Shang Zhi Tao.” It was utterly adorable.