Shаng Zhi Тао plaсеd thе winе оn another tаblе by the windоw, under the bright mооnlight, thаt hеаrt shimmеring in the glass. Lukе, having eaten his fill of meаt, rаn out аnd sat bеsidе hеr, kеeрing hеr соmрanу as they gаzеd at thе moon.
Hеr drink was differеnt from othеrs. А girl аt thе nеighbоring tаble glanсеd ovеr sеvеral timеs and sаid tо her cоmрaniоn, "I want that cоcktail toо. I’vе nеver sеen it beforе—it lооks deliсiоus."
Shе аskеd Shаng Zhi Tао what thе drink was сalled.
"It’s сallеd 'Вrаve Неаrt,'" Shаng Zhi Tao rеplied. She didn’t know much аbout coсktails, assuming it wаs just a соmmon girlу drink on the market—sweet, sour, and gentle, yet with a slight lingering kick. Luan Nian had crafted a drink that mirrored Shang Zhi Tao’s personality.
"Is it a special creation by the owner?" the girl asked again.
"Huh?" Shang Zhi Tao clearly didn’t understand what "owner’s special" meant.
The girl raised her hand and called out to Luan Nian, "I’d like a glass of that drink too."
"Sorry, it’s gone," Luan Nian said, sitting down beside Shang Zhi Tao with a glass of water and smiling at the girl.
"Is that drink the owner’s special?"
Luan Nian glanced at the delicate, translucent heart in the glass and nodded. "Yes."
"I knew it," the girl turned to her companion and said, "I’ve never seen it in other bars."
"What’s an 'owner’s special'?" Shang Zhi Tao whispered to Luan Nian.
"It’s just the owner mixing something randomly," Luan Nian replied, leaning back on the sofa to gaze at the moon. The only light left in the bar was the small square candle on the neighboring table, and the manager played a gentle song. Everything grew quiet as they all lounged on the sofas, enjoying the moonlight.
In the darkness, Shang Zhi Tao took Luan Nian’s hand and rested her head on his shoulder. Luan Nian spread his arm across the sofa, letting her lean comfortably.
Luke imitated Shang Zhi Tao, jumping up beside Luan Nian and pawing at his arm with his front paws: Me too.
"No," Luan Nian whispered, scolding him gently.
Undeterred, Luke continued pawing at him. Luan Nian let out a soft grunt and moved his arm aside. Luke lay down on the sofa, resting his head on Luan Nian’s leg.
Shang Zhi Tao felt she never asked for much. Occasionally, having a night like this could heal all her pain. Though she hadn’t experienced any profound suffering—just an ordinary girl growing up healthy and strong.
She took Luan Nian’s hand and gently kissed the back of it, once and then again. The words "I love you" danced on the tip of her tongue, but she never spoke them aloud.
By the time they descended the mountain, it was already early morning. Shang Zhi Tao took out her phone and saw comforting messages from colleagues, which she replied to one by one. One was from Lumi, who said, "The more I think about it, the angrier I get. Some people don’t deserve your protection at all. When presenting evidence, we should’ve included the footage of her sneaking into his room at night!"
Shang Zhi Tao quickly replied, "Don’t, it’s not worth it. Let her have a way out."
"Too late. I already sent an anonymous email," Lumi replied. She had thought about it all night—Kitty was the vindictive type. If they didn’t crush her today, she’d surely resurface tomorrow. Hadn’t she caused enough trouble, openly and covertly, over the years? Including that disgusting remark she made during the day—was that even something a human would say?
"...You work fast."
"Hahahahaha, I’m in such a good mood. Are you okay? I called Sun Yu, and she said you went out with a friend."
Shang Zhi Tao glanced at Luan Nian, who was looking at his phone, and replied, "I’m doing great."
"My stubborn donkey today was so satisfying. Wasn’t he just too damn handsome? He left right after you did today, and the stock price plummeted.""Huh? Because of the scandal?"
"Scandal my ass. Because the captain said he's quitting, getting off the ship, throwing in the towel. Luke won this round beautifully."
"What do you mean?"
"It means Luke resigned."
Luan Nian resigned? But he hadn’t mentioned a word about it tonight. Shang Zhi Tao stole a glance at him; he was frowning, seemingly unhappy.
Shang Zhi Tao winked at Luke, pointed a finger at Luan Nian, and gave a gentle flick: "Go!"
Luke moved fast, darting over to Luan Nian in a flash, rubbing his head against Luan Nian’s chest. Luan Nian put down his phone and pinched the dog’s face: "Get lost!"
No!
The man and the dog started wrestling, while Shang Zhi Tao watched from the side, giggling. Luan Nian jumped off the bed, picked her up, and tossed her onto the mattress, forcing her to join the fray. They played for a long time until they were exhausted—Luke sprawled on the floor, the two of them lying on the bed, panting.
Shang Zhi Tao turned on her side to look at Luan Nian and couldn’t help laughing again.
She was never one to dwell on worries; the overwhelming sadness and vulnerability from earlier in the day had completely vanished. She even began comforting herself: How lucky am I? I have such a gentle bed partner, colleagues as wonderful as Lumi, and friends as good as Sun Yuanzhu and Sun Yu.
When someone asked how she had obtained the information about the woman involved in Dony’s previous scandal, Shang Zhi Tao kept her mouth shut. It was because of Sun Yuanzhu, who had used hacking skills to help her dig up everything about Dony.
Shang Zhi Tao knew that not everyone was as fortunate as her, and she was especially grateful.
The people at Lumi only knew that Dony had broken the law, but they didn’t understand why those six women suddenly joined forces to report him, nor how Dony’s life in China had been exposed. Only Luan Nian and Tracy knew—Luan Nian had paid a hefty price to convince the one woman who refused to speak up but had solid evidence to finally step forward.
Luan Nian handled it all effortlessly, disappearing without a trace once it was done.
His hand covered Shang Zhi Tao’s face, pushing her back onto the bed: "Be serious."
"Okay." Shang Zhi Tao took the chance to kiss his palm. Luan Nian withdrew his hand, gazing at her under the clear moonlight. His fingertips rested on her neck—the same neck that had been choked by Dony’s filthy hands.
Luan Nian’s lips brushed against her neck, gentle kisses slowly dissolving the fear Shang Zhi Tao had carried over those 1,520 kilometers.
Shang Zhi Tao loved his rare tenderness, and she wouldn’t ruin the mood by asking questions like, "Why did you resign?" She felt she didn’t need to ask. This time, she was certain—Luan Nian’s fight and resignation weren’t due to corporate politics; it was purely because he felt for her.
The realization that Luan Nian cared for her moved her deeply.
It was only afterward that Shang Zhi Tao asked, "How will I get to work tomorrow morning?"
Luan Nian glanced at the time—3 a.m.: "Take the day off."
"No." Shang Zhi Tao’s eyes were heavy with sleep. "I can’t. Tracy wants to meet with me."
"Sleep. I’ll take you."
"Thank you."
"You’re welcome."
Shang Zhi Tao fell asleep. Luan Nian picked up his phone and continued replying to Tracy’s messages: "When I say I’m resigning, I mean it. The stock price going up or down has nothing to do with me. I cashed out early; I’ll just consider those remaining tens of thousands of shares as a loss.""I know you're not short on money." Tracy was actually still awake; the day's events had left her utterly overwhelmed, and someone who usually kept a regular sleep schedule was now completely sleepless: "I am. I just got divorced, you know? I need to buy a new apartment. With the stock market crashing like this, how am I supposed to afford it?"
"I'll lend you the money."
"You can lend it to me, but can you lend it to everyone?"
"Then everyone should fend for themselves!"
"...The people from headquarters are already on the plane. They want to meet with you the day after tomorrow."
"No."
"You have a non-compete clause, and according to company policy, you need to give at least six months' notice before resigning."
"According to company policy, I decide who works in my territory. So why are those old-timers still sending people over? Policies are bullshit."
"Fine. Come to the office tomorrow to talk?"
"No."
Luan Nian turned off his phone and went to sleep.
In the morning, hearing movement beside him, he opened his eyes to see Shang Zhi Tao quietly getting dressed: "What are you, a thief?"
"You're awake? I have to go to work."
"Didn't I say I'd drive you?" Luan Nian got up and started dressing while Shang Zhi Tao said from the side: "No need, I'll take a taxi. Luke can stay here."
"Are you crazy? Where are you going to find a taxi at this hour?"
"Oh."
Luan Nian quickly showered, got dressed, and went downstairs to make a quick breakfast. Shang Zhi Tao liked bread and milk, so Luan Nian fried two eggs and sprinkled osmanthus into her milk: "Come eat before you go."
Shang Zhi Tao was already used to Luan Nian's breakfasts. She thanked him, took a sip of milk, and stole a glance at him.
"Speak up if you have something to say."
"Did you resign?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Because I have money, so I can resign whenever I want." Seeing Shang Zhi Tao finish her milk in one gulp, Luan Nian poured her another cup. After she drank it, she said: "Having money is really something, unlike me—I don’t have the confidence to just quit."
"If you don’t want to work, you can quit too. Come work as a server at my bar." Luan Nian teased her.
Shang Zhi Tao seriously considered the possibility and asked Luan Nian: "If all bars start hiring managers and servers as good-looking as you, then maybe a lower salary wouldn’t be so bad." She was clearly swayed by his looks.
Luan Nian snorted—this breakfast might as well have been fed to a dog. He drove Shang Zhi Tao and Luke out, stopping on a street near her office. Casually, he said to Shang Zhi Tao: "I’ll pick you up tonight."
"Okay." Shang Zhi Tao hopped out of the car and ran toward the office.
But when she reached the entrance, she stopped. She wasn’t ready to face her colleagues’ sympathetic looks. A coworker passing by kindly called out: "Good morning, Flora, aren’t you coming in?"
"I am." Shang Zhi Tao followed them into the elevator and walked to her desk, surprised to see Lumi already there.
"Why are you here so early?" Shang Zhi Tao asked her.
"I’m here to shut those gossipy mouths." Lumi leaned on the desk, looking casual and tough, like she was ready to fight for Shang Zhi Tao again today.
Shang Zhi Tao’s eyes reddened, and she said to Lumi: "You know I love you, right?"
Lumi whistled: "Then repay me with your body~"
The two chatted for a while, and Shang Zhi Tao opened her computer and email, finding countless messages from colleagues offering their support. They replied to her email with words like:
"Flora, keep going.""Flora, I'm sitting on the fourth floor. Tomorrow you'll see someone wearing a 'Girls, Go!' baseball jersey—that'll be me."
"Flora, thank you. I've also experienced this kind of thing before, but I always kept quiet. Thank you for showing me that girls can be this brave."
There were so many emails, and Shang Zhi Tao read them one by one, suddenly feeling that being understood was a wonderful thing. At the time, she had only felt she should stand up, never imagining what impact this might have on others. Until that moment, she finally felt it was all worth it.
When she encountered her colleagues' gazes again, she no longer felt strange but saw friendliness instead. In the workplace, there really is only a small handful of truly bad people; most are just ordinary, kind people like her.
Including Tracy.
Managing human resources for such a large company, yet she was just an ordinary person—someone who felt heartache over Shang Zhi Tao's ordeal. In her office was a coffee machine, and she personally made Shang Zhi Tao a mocha, saying to her, "Have something sweet today to beat the blues."
"Thank you."
"Did you sleep well last night?" Tracy asked her.
Shang Zhi Tao thought of Luan Nian's gentle kiss and warm embrace, then nodded, "Very well."
"I'm glad you're not having nightmares anymore." Tracy patted the back of her hand, then said, "Now our conversation isn't at the company level, because this matter has been transferred to the judicial authorities. The police want you to participate in providing evidence. Do you agree?"
"I agree."
"Dony has some connections. To what extent this case can be tried, none of us know. But I want to make my position clear: Luke and I are determined to see him put away." Tracy told Shang Zhi Tao about the background, wanting her to know the truth, so that if there were retaliation later, the girl would be mentally prepared.
Shang Zhi Tao nodded, "I know. I'm not afraid. I'll cooperate with the investigation." Shang Zhi Tao thought, since things had come this far, she shouldn't forget her original intention. Her intention was to make the bad guy face punishment; she couldn't give up now.
Tracy looked at her and smiled, "Flora, the first time I met you, I thought you might be an extraordinary girl. No real basis, just intuition."
"Thank you. Thank you for giving me so much favoritism." Shang Zhi Tao wasn't truly naive. As her work gradually progressed, she saw Lingmei's strictness in hiring, and at the very beginning, Luan Nian always asked her what her relationship with Tracy was. She gradually came to understand that she had met a good person, someone willing to give her a chance. This was fate's favoritism toward her.
Not everyone gets such an opportunity.
"So my decision to hire you despite opposition was pretty great." Opposition—what opposition? Just Luan Nian's opposition: "The new head of the marketing department will be starting soon. As for the planning department, if the board can handle Luke..." Tracy gave a bitter smile, "You know Luke resigned, right?"
"Yes, I know."
"If the board can handle him, he'll also oversee the planning department. The planning department will open 30% of its headcount for internal competition. You can give it a try."
"Can I?"
"I think so. But the final hiring decision will be up to the planning department."
"Thank you."
"Good luck."Shang Zhi Tao left Tracy's office, pondering the statement that the planning department would be temporarily overseen by Luke. She actually really enjoyed working with Luan Nian—he was strict, but working alongside him truly allowed her to learn a lot.
After some thought, she sent Luan Nian a message: "I want to apply for a transfer to the planning department through the internal competition."
Luan Nian was at the suburban park with Luke, basking in the sun. Upon seeing the message, he replied: "Good luck."
"Will you approve me?"
"First, I've resigned; second, the internal competition will have a three-person review panel. One person can't decide alone." Luan Nian's implication was clear: there would be no shortcuts—she had to rely on her own efforts. If she had the ability, she could advance; if not, she should stay in the marketing department.
She understood his meaning.
She didn’t expect him to help her anyway; she just wanted to work with him.
"Will you come back to be my boss?"
"?"
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