Shаng Zhi Таo thought: Dunhuаng 108, оnсе in а lifetime is enоugh. It's tоo eхhausting, reаllу.
Whеn shе gоt uр the neхt morning, she felt her legs no lоngеr belоnged tо hеr. Тhаt wasn’t еvеn thе wоrst рart—thе biggest challеngе was tоnight, when they wоuld have tо sleeр in tеnts. Slеерing in tеnts shоuld have bееn a niсе еxрeriеnсe, at lеаst the stаrs in the desert wоuld surely be bеаutiful, but Shаng Zhi Tаo was cоmрlеtelу drеаding it аt thе mоment.
Shе wоke uр eаrly to оversее thе buffet brеаkfаst аnd saw Luan Nian, whо had risen even eаrlier, standing at thе entranсe оf thе dining hall. Нis gaze fell on her slow-moving legs. "You need to exercise more."
"I don’t go hiking every day," Shang Zhi Tao protested quietly, dissatisfied with Luan Nian’s teasing.
"Your stamina isn’t great even on normal days," Luan Nian implied, knowing Shang Zhi Tao often tried to get away with things. He actually quite liked it when she did.
…
Her face flushed bright red, and she lowered her head to count the meal vouchers.
Luan Nian stood there watching her count, observing as the redness slowly faded from her face and she returned to normal. He called out to her, "Flora."
"Hmm?"
"Let’s have a meal together when we’re back in Beijing?" Luan Nian imitated Dony’s tone, as if teasing her, yet his expression was serious.
"Sorry, I’m very busy."
"Then stay busy all the way," Luan Nian said, vaguely worried that Shang Zhi Tao might feel pressured by Dony’s authority and actually agree to have a meal with him. He didn’t want to think about the consequences because he would never allow such a thing to happen.
Clients gradually arrived at the dining hall, and Luan Nian went up to greet them. Shang Zhi Tao watched him socialize earnestly and threw herself into her work with equal seriousness. After sitting for a while longer, she saw Luan Nian sit down and chat with two clients.
Shang Zhi Tao didn’t know how the strange tacit understandingIt was that evening when Shang Zhi Tao and Lumi sat by the window, curtains drawn, lights off inside the room. A video camera was set up, and the lights across the way turned on, shadows overlapping briefly before the lights went out again. Shang Zhi Tao said to Lumi, "This is too thrilling."
Lumi patted her head. "Even more thrilling than a blockbuster. Tsk tsk."
Shang Zhi Tao felt incredibly fortunate to have met someone like Lumi. The two of them took turns keeping watch by that window, searching for a glimmer of hope to save Shang Zhi Tao from the trap she might have fallen into.
The day they returned to Beijing was a Sunday.
After just a few days away, Beijing’s summer had already ended. When Shang Zhi Tao entered the apartment, Sun Yuanzhu was brushing Luke’s fur. She placed her luggage by the door and endured Luke’s earth-shattering welcome ceremony. Sun Yuanzhu sat on the sofa, watching their lively reunion.
Shang Zhi Tao gently pushed Luke aside and walked into the living room, sitting cross-legged opposite Sun Yuanzhu. "All better now?"
"All better." Sun Yuanzhu had returned to being that sunny, youthful man. He leaned forward and thanked Shang Zhi Tao, "Thank you, Miss Shang Zhi Tao, for taking care of me that day."
Seeing the gentle look in Sun Yuanzhu’s eyes, a sense of calm washed over the anxiety Dony’s harassment had stirred in her. "Should we celebrate then?"
"Sure. I’d like to go out for a walk."
"Let’s go."
Shang Zhi Tao jumped up, and Luke followed suit. Sun Yuanzhu leashed Luke. "Let’s take him along."
They stepped outside, walking along streets occasionally strewn with fallen leaves. Sun Yuanzhu spoke very little, and Shang Zhi Tao walked quietly beside him. She wanted to ask him about that "Tao Tao" he had called her but ultimately held back. She simply tilted her head slightly to look at him—he was quiet, yet carried a hint of detachment. His stories were hidden behind his glasses; if he lowered his head, you would never see them.
They passed by a newspaper stand. In those years, newspaper stands were becoming increasingly rare, and the people handing out newspapers in the subway had vanished overnight. Many began counting on their fingers, wondering how long it would take for a brand-new era to arrive—who would board that train, and who would be left behind by the times.
Shang Zhi Tao didn’t understand Sun Yuanzhu’s work. She imagined it involved writing a program, implanting it into a system, and that program could command a driverless car to speed freely along the highways of the northwest.
That must be incredibly romantic.
Human imagination is inherently romantic.
They walked along the streets of North Fifth Ring Road, unsure of how long they had been strolling. Shang Zhi Tao finally couldn’t contain her unease and brought up Dony with Sun Yuanzhu. She said, "You know, I’m actually really scared. I’ll reject him, but I don’t know if he’ll get angry and humiliated because of it."
"Is that so…" Sun Yuanzhu thought for a moment. "Do you think he’s a repeat offender?"
"I think he is." Shang Zhi Tao was certain Dony was a repeat offender. He handled such matters with ease, leaving no evidence to hold against him.
Sun Yuanzhu nodded. "If he’s a repeat offender, he’ll slip up sooner or later. Let me think if there’s any way to handle this."
Shang Zhi Tao smiled at him. "I don’t know why, but I just feel like you’d have a solution. And the best solution in the world, at that."
"Not necessarily. It might be something that can’t be brought to light."
An autumn breeze suddenly rose—a beautiful season in the world. At that moment, Luan Nian’s car was parked across the street, watching as Sun Yuanzhu walked Luke, with Shang Zhi Tao strolling beside him. They looked as ordinary as a family of three, embodying a simple, unadorned happiness.He finally understood why Shang Zhi Tao always left on Saturdays. She was eager to escape from his home because she wanted to flee back to ordinary reality and happiness. The look she gave Sun Yuanzhu was filled with an affection she herself didn’t even notice.
Luan Nian started the car.
On a whim, he decided to go to the bar to mix drinks. The bar tools had arrived but had remained untouched until now. He had never actively sought her out before—today was the first time—all because he had impulsively promised to mix the bar’s first drink for her. Driving up the mountain, he found employees already preparing for the official opening. They greeted him, and Luan Nian nodded in acknowledgment.
He had too much time on his hands today.
A Sunday with nothing to do, starkly separating workdays from life, left him idle and bored.
Standing behind the fully equipped bar, he thought for a moment and decided to mix a "White Lady." He brushed syrup around the rim of the glass and rolled it in crushed rose petals, making it resemble the adorned body of a woman. Luan Nian had once studied mixology for a while, learning that changing the base spirit was the core of creating different cocktails.
He mixed drinks freely, without strict adherence to rules, as long as they tasted good.
The first drink he had promised to Shang Zhi Tao, he ended up drinking himself. Tan Mian’s call came just in time, asking where he was. "On the mountain," Luan Nian replied.
"Can you drink today?"
"Yes."
Luan Nian felt he had chosen this place well. Sitting by the bar’s large floor-to-ceiling window, he could see the early autumn scenery of the mountains. There were always a few scattered people willing to drive dozens of kilometers just to chase this autumn view.
When Tan Mian arrived, Luan Nian was taking photos. Green tea leaves had expanded in a glass on the table by the window, with a book scattered nearby—a display of impeccable taste.
He crouched on the floor, searching for the perfect angle. The shot needed layers. With a click, he captured a satisfying photo.
"You’ve got a lot of free time today," Tan Mian remarked.
Luan Nian glanced at him. "Don’t you?"
Tan Mian leaned back on the sofa. "If I weren’t free, why would I drive all the way to this hard-to-find place?" He looked around, admiring Luan Nian’s refined taste. "The decor is nice."
"Thanks for the compliment."
"My company is planning a networking event soon. We’ll host it here."
"Thanks for the business."
Luan Nian’s replies were short and sharp, which was unusual—he wasn’t usually so quiet around friends.
Seeing Luan Nian focused only on his photos, Tan Mian asked, "Are you in a bad mood?"
"I asked if you’re in a bad mood."
"No."
"Want to go out for a few drinks?"
"I own a bar, and you want me to go out to drink?"
"Then let’s drink here."
"I’m not paying."
"I’ll pay, okay?" Tan Mian could now tell Luan Nian was genuinely in a bad mood and decided to humor him. What else could he do? Luan Nian’s words could be sharp!
"I’ll call a few people over to drink and support Boss Luan’s new business," Tan Mian said, glancing at Luan Nian, who didn’t even look up.
Tan Mian made calls one by one. "Come for a drink." Within two hours, seven or eight men and women had gathered. Two of the women were unfamiliar to Luan Nian. Tan Mian pointed to one and said, "She teaches Western literature at a university, her parents are abroad, and she comes from a good family. Most importantly, look at her—those expressive eyes, those delicate hands. In her free time, she tends to flowers and admires the moon; when busy, she reads and writes. Doesn’t she match well with someone like you in the arts?"
Luan Nian didn’t even lift his head, replying flatly, "She’s fine."
"Since she’s fine, why not go over and have a drink with her?"
"Will you mix the drinks?"
"I don’t know how. You mix them and then come over."A few people sat by the window drinking, occasionally glancing at Luan Nian. Luan Nian mixed drinks rather casually later on—after all, Tan Mian was paying. In the end, he made himself a Black Russian, easy to drink, though the vodka was damn strong.
Holding his glass, he sat among them, chatting casually about this and that until the sky grew completely dark.
Before leaving, Tan Mian called out to the girl and Luan Nian: "Let's exchange contact information. Gōng Yuè often organizes student activities. I think this place would be quite suitable."
The matchmaking intention was quite obvious.
"Thanks for your consideration."
Luan Nian took out his phone and exchanged contact details with Gōng Yuè. Only then did he notice his phone had blown up with all sorts of messages. After seeing them off, he went through them one by one. Among them were two from Shang Zhi Tao. One said: "luke, the budget plan has been sent to your email."
Another read: "If you’re not traveling next week, could you help take care of Luke?"
Luan Nian replied: "No."
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