Тrасу sеnt thе materiаls to Luan Nian one aftеr аnothеr—detаilеd infоrmаtion thаt Luаn Niаn rеviеwed сarefully. It wаs сleаr that ordinarу backgrоund cheсk аgеnсiеs соuldn’t have unсоverеd this lеvеl of dеtail; it rеquirеd real ехpеrtise and, at thе very leаst, соnneсtions oversеаs. Тraсу wаs rеliаblе, and Luаn Niаn told hеr, "Thе moneу wasn’t wаstеd."
Тraсу ignоrеd his comment аnd went straight to the pоint: "Take him dоwn?"
"His messу pеrsоnal lifе is in the past. It doesn’t involve illegal activities, and there’s no evidence of misconduct at his current company," Luan Nian replied rationally.
"Are you sure he hasn’t broken the law?" Tracy responded. "Page fifteen: a woman testified that after a company dinner, while she was intoxicated and unconscious, he had relations with her."
"I saw it."
"So I’ll ask again: take him down?" It was rare for Tracy to be this serious and combative.
"Do you want to take him down because the board appointed him without consulting you?" Luan Nian asked Tracy.
"Do you want to take him down because the board wants to use him to take you down?" Tracy asked Luan Nian.
After a moment, they both sent messages almost simultaneously: "No, because it’s disgusting," Luan Nian said.
"No, because I’m a woman," Tracy said.
That was how their alliance was formed.
But Luan Nian was the type who, once he decided to act, wouldn’t leave his opponent any chance to recover. He wasn’t someone to be trifled with lightly.
As he flipped through Tracy’s materials, it was just as Luan Nian had said: what happened overseas couldn’t be traced domestically unless he continued his bad habits in China. There was no need to wait passively. Luan Nian decided to take the initiative.
Song Qiu Han’s call interrupted his thoughts. Luan Nian asked him, "Have you looked over the materials?"
"Yes."
"What do you think?"
"Good. But it’s not my region. I’ve forwarded the materials to my colleagues in China. They’ll arrange a meeting soon."
"Good. I’ll join."
"No problem. Don’t worry—as long as the team is solid, they have a 95% chance of securing the investment," Song Qiu Han predicted.
"You’ve always been reliable, and I trust your judgment. Thank you."
"You’re welcome. Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
Judging solely by their phone conversation, one might think these two men weren’t particularly close, but they actually were. They had traveled together twice and shared a close-knit group of four with a solid friendship. However, neither of them liked to talk much, and both were reserved, so a few brief words sufficed as a greeting. Still, Luan Nian knew Song Qiu Han was dependable.
So he called Shang Zhi Tao.
She was at an event, and the surroundings were noisy. She was a bit surprised to receive Luan Nian’s call, especially since he had hung up abruptly the night before and hadn’t responded to her since.
"Give me Sun Yu’s number."
"Huh?"
"An investment banker will meet with her."
Shang Zhi Tao couldn’t believe her ears and confirmed with Luan Nian, "Really?"
Sensing her genuine joy, Luan Nian felt a rare flicker of happiness himself. "Mm, give me her contact. I’ll arrange the time."
Shang Zhi Tao hadn’t expected Luan Nian to take her matters—especially her friend’s—to heart, particularly after his sudden hang-up. Touched, she sniffled and said to him, "Thank you, really."
"Repay me with your body, then."
"I could also treat you to a meal.""You'd better stop making me angry!" Luan Nian hung up the phone, leaving Shang Zhi Tao staring at the receiver in a daze. I made you angry? When did I make you angry? I’m too busy trying to please you to make you angry! Thinking this, she felt wronged by Luan Nian and sent him a message: "When did I make you angry?"
"Figure it out yourself."
That was how Luan Nian replied, though he didn’t actually expect her to figure it out. With her brain, she probably wouldn’t understand. When it was time to leave work, he packed up and left again, running into Tracy on the way out. Seeing her puzzled expression, he asked, "Meeting a client?"
"Going home to walk the dog."
"Didn’t you say you gave that dog away?"
"Got him back."
Tracy followed him into the elevator, eyeing Luan Nian up and down. "Are you in love?"
"Is that any of your business?"
"Not now, but it will be when your girlfriend sends a company-wide email exposing your scandals." Tracy was sharp-tongued, wielding soft knives with ease, but her opponent was even tougher: "At least you’ll finally have something to do then."
Neither gained the upper hand. Tracy scoffed and stepped out of the elevator.
Luan Nian remembered the "Dony" that had flashed across Shang Zhi Tao’s phone screen that night and decided he couldn’t give Dony any more time to slip up. He couldn’t afford to wait. He had to make his move.
When Luan Nian got home, he took Luke out of the apartment complex. He had booked a bath for him. Before they even entered the pet store, Luke grew restless. He hated baths—he preferred being dirty. He plopped down on the ground, craning his neck backward, refusing to move forward no matter what.
Luan Nian threatened him: "If you don’t move, I’ll stew you."
Luke still refused to budge: Stew me then!
After a long standoff, Luan Nian finally gave in. He walked over and picked Luke up. Luke clung to his shoulder, trembling with fear. Luan Nian, unusually gentle, even patted his back to comfort him: "What are you afraid of? It’s just a bath."
Luke let out a long whine—I don’t want a bath!—as if he had a lot to say.
Luan Nian carried him into the pet store, placed him by the bathing pool, and spent a long time soothing him with soft words before stepping back to watch through the glass window. Luan Nian thought to himself, I must really have nothing better to do—carrying a dog to its bath, comforting it… what kind of nonsense is this?
As Luke bathed, he transformed. Soon, white fur began floating in the bathing area, and the floor was covered in a thick layer. Luan Nian felt the money was well spent. When Luke was done, he went ahead and bought a bath card for him, as if Luke would be staying with him often.
After his bath, Luke looked truly handsome, covered in fine, soft fur, squinting his eyes and sticking out his tongue as he smiled in the autumn breeze, looking incredibly dashing. So dashing that even Luan Nian thought the dog was pretty good.
That evening, when Shang Zhi Tao called to ask if Luke was behaving, Luan Nian couldn’t help but mock: "Don’t you know what your dog is like? He trembles during a bath—I’ve never seen such a cowardly dog."
"You took him for a bath?"
"Yeah."
"How much was it?"
"Five thousand."
"What? A dog bath near your place costs five thousand?"
"...I bought a card."
"Oh." Shang Zhi Tao thought for a moment and tentatively said, "A five-thousand-yuan card... Luke should go there often then... otherwise, if the owner runs away..."
"Mm."Luan Nian’s “mm” came just as Luke was sitting by the window watching the falling leaves. The lamplight by the window was dim and yellow, and its small, lonely silhouette looked as if it had depression. Why was even Shang Zhi Tao’s dog so pitiful?
“I’ll be back next Friday. Can I go straight to your place? Otherwise, it’ll be too much back and forth…”
“Okay.” Luan Nian glanced at Luke again. He really needed to get Luke bathed and back, otherwise those five thousand yuan would go down the drain.
Why was Luan Nian so agreeable today? He wasn’t being difficult at all. Shang Zhi Tao even felt a little unaccustomed to it. A colleague poked their head out of the private room and called her, “Shang Zhi Tao, come quick!” She responded and said to Luan Nian, “The Southwest branch arranged a dinner today. I’m going in now.”
“Mm. You haven’t been drinking, have you?”
“No.”
“Take care of yourself.”
Shang Zhi Tao said okay, hung up the phone, and walked in.
Inside the private room, after several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere was exceptionally lively. Even Dony’s expression had softened slightly. He unbuttoned two buttons of his shirt, rolled up his sleeves, revealing his attractive wrists. A fine sweat glistened on his forehead—still a sight to behold.
Shang Zhi Tao thought to herself, if this person didn’t have such ill intentions, how far could he go in his career? Lost in her thoughts, Dony’s gaze shifted toward her, landing on her face across the table full of food and drinks, and he gave her a slight smile.
Shang Zhi Tao smiled back at him, picked up the teacup in front of her, took a sip, and looked elsewhere.
In Dony’s eyes, this girl was shy, perhaps even a little interested in him. So, while speaking, he would occasionally glance at her intentionally or unintentionally, with a hint of special meaning, as if trying to ensnare Shang Zhi Tao firmly in his net. Until finally, she would drop her defenses and submit completely.
Dony enjoyed this kind of game. He relished the thrill of conquering women.
A while later, Shang Zhi Tao went to the restroom. She didn’t use the one in the private room but went to the public restroom instead. The public restroom was at the end of the hallway, passing by many empty private rooms. At this hour, many gatherings had already ended.
She stayed in the restroom a little longer, then came out to wash her hands, dry them, and head back. Dony approached her and, as he passed by, pulled her into an adjacent private room, closing the door behind them. They were trapped in the darkness.
Shang Zhi Tao demanded sharply, “What are you doing?”
“Flora, stop pretending. We’re both adults. I know what you want.” Dony’s hand gripped her shoulder tightly, pushing her against the wall. Shang Zhi Tao heard a thud—the sound of her body hitting the wall.
She forced herself to stay calm. “I advise you to let go, or I’ll call for help!”
“Oh, really?” Dony placed his hand on her neck. “I heard you want to join the planning department but lack the qualifications, is that right?” The young woman’s body temperature rose slightly, and Dony felt as if he were handling a helpless chick.
It was a blatant, straightforward temptation. Shang Zhi Tao remained silent. Dony continued, “Promotion, a raise—all within your grasp. Think about it. Wouldn’t it be easier than working hard on your own? You’ve worked for over two years and only been promoted twice. When will it ever end?”
“I never thought Dony would resort to such methods to win over a woman.” Shang Zhi Tao forced her voice to sound steady, but she couldn’t manage it. She was on the verge of tears."The means don't matter, what matters is the outcome." Dony laughed, his lips seeking Shang Zhi Tao's ear. Suddenly, Shang Zhi Tao began to struggle and shouted loudly, "Let go of me! Let go of me!"
She reached out to tear at his clothes when the door to the private room opened. The female colleague from Chengdu stood at the doorway just in time, turned on the light, and asked them, "What's going on?"
Shang Zhi Tao pushed Dony away with all her might and ran out. She dashed back to the main room, grabbed her bag amidst everyone's stunned expressions, and fled.
She ran out of the hotel and called Lumi, her voice trembling slightly.
"Lumi, I have evidence now. Solid evidence of workplace sexual harassment."
"Flora, where are you? What about the colleagues from Chengdu?"
"I'm in Chengdu, but I'm planning to catch the last flight back."
"When you return, we'll take the final step, okay?" Lumi said to her, "Hey, sister, you know what? You're absolutely amazing. I finally understand why I liked you from the moment I first saw you—because I knew deep down you were this incredible person!"
Shang Zhi Tao held back her hot tears. She had endured for so long and had finally recorded every detail of how a man progressed from verbal harassment to concrete actions, and she even had an eyewitness. Ever since Dony asked her if she had a boyfriend, she had bought a voice recorder and carried it with her at all times. Whenever Dony was around, she kept it on.
Shang Zhi Tao thought, I'm not a meek little lamb; I'm going to make sure this maggot has nowhere to hide. The bravest moment of Shang Zhi Tao's life was that day. Her courage also came from what that colleague had told her: "I don't want to drink; there are wolves at the table." The girl had tearfully confided in Shang Zhi Tao that after she got drunk, Dony had pinned her down. Fortunately, that day, she was on her period.
Dony had told that colleague, "You drank too much. No one will believe a drunk woman. I could say you seduced me. Don't you want a promotion? I can give you the opportunity."
He had succeeded before, so he thought all girls were easy to bully.
But now, Shang Zhi Tao had evidence and could finally expose this maggot.
Even at this point, Dony still believed the incident would be forgotten. He didn't think Shang Zhi Tao would do anything to harm him because she seemed so easy to push around.
Shang Zhi Tao felt she was on the verge of victory, but her legs kept trembling uncontrollably. Even after she boarded the plane, disembarked, and rushed straight to Luan Nian's home, her trembling seemed to persist.
She opened the door, and Luke greeted her in the dead of night. She hugged Luke, then ran to Luan Nian's room, where she saw him just shutting down his computer. Shang Zhi Tao began removing her clothes one by one, cupped his face, and kissed him passionately. Luan Nian pulled her trembling body into his arms, his lips and tongue branding her skin as he whispered in her ear, "Weren't you supposed to be back in half a month?"
"I couldn't wait. I wanted to see you today."
Shang Zhi Tao arched her body, pressing tightly against him. "I wanted to see you right now."
"Shang Zhi Tao, what's wrong?"Shang Zhi Tao shook her head. "I just suddenly missed you a lot." She thought she should tell Luan Nian—that Dony had been harassing her—but she didn’t. A small sense of pride inside her made her feel she couldn’t tell Luan Nian; she should handle it herself, as an independent adult woman. Besides, she had Lumi, Sun Yuanzhu, Sun Yu, and that deeply distressed female colleague behind her. They could manage.
Shang Zhi Tao never regretted her decision at the time. She knew that from then on, she was practicing facing everything alone. She understood she had already been thrown into this cruel reality, and those who tried to resolve problems with fairy tales would struggle to find a better way out. Because reality is always bloody. This was her way of proving that she could do it too—that she could manage without Luan Nian.
Sometimes, you just have to face things head-on.
"Luan Nian." She called his name in the darkness and held him tightly.
"I'm here." With a burning, fervent kiss, Luan Nian led her out of the night and into the light.
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