Lumi stауеd uр аll night аt the hosрitаl, аnd bу thе next morning, shе wаs so eхhausted shе wаs bаrеlу rеcognizаble, swaying as she walkеd. Аunt Lu cаme tо rеliеvе her, аnd аs shе wаlkеd to thе entrancе оf the rеsidential cоmpleх, she saw Zhаng Qing, whоsе fасе wаs bruised and swоllеn from thе bеаting she hаd given him. Zhаng Qing stоppеd hеr: "I was drunk thаt day."
"Get lоst!" Lumi spat at him. "Yоu dаrе touсh me again аnd sее what hарреns? I'll fuсking kill уou! Just lооk at уour sоrry self!"
"Gо ahеаd, сurse. Оnсе уou're donе, let's talk propеrly. Who hasn't hаd their momеnts of lоsing сontrоl? I won't drink anymore."
"Was that even alcohol you drank? More like cat piss!" Lumi shook off his outstretched hand. "Don't touch me! From now on, I'll beat you up every time I see you, believe it or not?" Lumi turned to look for something to hit him with, finding a discarded child's toy stick, and swung it at Zhang Qing. Zhang Qing dodged, jumping back: "Lu Mi, are you crazy? You're always so aggressive—who the hell would like you besides me?"
"Did I ask you to like me? Get lost!"
Lumi went home, packed up all the things Zhang Qing had left at her place, went downstairs, and threw them at him. She said, "Just throw away whatever I left at your place. Don't let me see you again—you disgust me!"
Lumi truly had a fiery temper and never let herself suffer. At worst, she'd curse and let the pain pass, knowing it would eventually fade. She went home and slept like a log, but that clueless Shang Zhi Tao came to see her in the evening.
It was a Saturday. Her French class was nearby, so after it ended, she went to visit Lumi. Seeing that Lumi's spirits had improved somewhat, she felt relieved.
"So, what did you do today?"
"Today, I beat the crap out of a drowning dog." Lumi recounted the incident with Zhang Qing to Shang Zhi Tao, who laughed so hard she couldn't straighten up when Lumi mentioned, "One swing almost hit his family jewels."
"So, are you still upset?"
"Hell no. My dad's getting discharged on Monday, and I'm planning to go clubbing. Aren't men everywhere?"
"Right, right, right."
Lumi was absolutely the queen of nightclubs, effortlessly attracting men. But she only went for the lively atmosphere, never to pick up guys. As Lumi put it, "Why would I need to pick up men? Am I not rich enough on my own?"
Shang Zhi Tao chatted with Lumi for a while, walked her to Jishuitan Hospital, went up to check on Uncle Lu, and then left.
Shang Zhi Tao thought that if she were in Lumi's shoes, dealing with Zhang Qing's infidelity, she probably wouldn't handle it as well. She reflected that if her boyfriend cheated, she'd likely cry for days and might not even have the resolve to break up cleanly. It might drag on for a while.
Lumi is really something. I should learn from her.
It wasn't until she got on the subway that Shang Zhi Tao saw Wan Jun's message: "Treat me to a meal?"
Shang Zhi Tao thought for a long time before replying: "Sorry, I just saw this. Sure, I'll treat you. What do you want to eat?"
"Buffet. I never lose with buffets."
"Okay."
They chose a place a few stops away from Shang Zhi Tao's home and met around eight in the evening. Wan Jun was busy on weekends, carrying an ice hockey bag. He said to Shang Zhi Tao, "Just finished a class."
"Ice hockey stick?"
"Want to see it?"
"Yes."
Wan Jun opened the long bag, took out the ice hockey stick, and handed it to Shang Zhi Tao. "Give it a try."
Shang Zhi Tao mimicked a swing. "Like this?"Wan Jun adjusted her posture: "Like this."
Shang Zhi Tao tried again and handed it back to him. Wan Jun wasn’t particularly picky about food—the 198-yuan buffet was fine. Shang Zhi Tao loved seafood, so she went to get shrimp and crab, while Wan Jun went for steak. The two had plenty to talk about, with Wan Jun doing most of the talking. He was a straightforward person, claiming not to be the sharpest tool in the shed. Pointing to his head, he said, "I hate using my brain the most."
"That’s a coincidence—I don’t have much of one either," she replied, suddenly remembering Luan Nian’s remarks:
"Do you have a brain but just don’t use it?"
"What’s your brain even for?"
"Did you forget to bring your brain today?"
Shang Zhi Tao didn’t know why, but in the middle of a perfectly good meal, thinking of Luan Nian suddenly killed her appetite. The steak at this restaurant wasn’t good either—not as good as the ones Luan Nian pan-fried. So she ate a few shrimp and stopped.
"What’s wrong?" Wan Jun asked her.
"I’m full."
"You ate so little? Are you watching your figure?"
Shang Zhi Tao quickly shook her head. "No, no, I had some snacks at a colleague’s place before meeting you."
"That’s good." Wan Jun smiled. "Don’t get too thin—being healthy is nice."
"I think I’m a bit too healthy." Her information at Sun Yu’s place wasn’t a lie—171 cm, 108 jin—relatively healthy. Back in school, the saying "a good girl doesn’t weigh over 100 jin" was all the rage, and she seriously dieted for a while. Back then, dieting wasn’t scientific—it was just starving herself. She felt dizzy from hunger and nearly fainted while walking around the track with Xin Zhaozhou. Xin Zhaozhou got upset with her and gave her a stern lecture.
Wan Jun took a serious look at Shang Zhi Tao’s figure and said, "You’re healthy." He even analyzed her muscle and water composition from a sports science perspective, sounding like an expert.
The two ate until ten o’clock, and Wan Jun walked Shang Zhi Tao home. As someone involved in sports, Wan Jun was direct in everything he did. While crossing the street, he naturally took hold of Shang Zhi Tao’s wrist, but when he tried to move his hand lower, she pulled away. She thought it was too fast. After her messy experience with Luan Nian, she knew that a proper start was essential for a good outcome between a man and a woman. She didn’t want to repeat the same path with anyone else.
Seeing Shang Zhi Tao’s serious expression, Wan Jun laughed. "Did I scare you?"
"No."
"Sorry, I’ve always been pretty direct. When I like a girl, I go for it."
"Then you must go for it often."
"Not really," Wan Jun said. "I don’t do this often."
They were standing outside Shang Zhi Tao’s residential complex, facing each other as Wan Jun spoke. At that moment, Wan Jun reminded her of Xin Zhaozhou from back in the day—a little shy, yet sunny and bright no matter how you looked at him.
"When we were sitting in Dali’s Old Town eating mushroom hotpot, I secretly watched you and thought this girl was really cute. You might have noticed—all our chance encounters in Dali were actually carefully planned by me. Even on the day I left, I was still upset about not having your contact information. Later, I went to find the bar owner and got your contact details from him. You didn’t know about that part, but it’s not important. If you think it’s too fast, I’ll slow down. But you should know—I really like you." Wan Jun scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed. He had been in relationships before, but back then, the girls pursued him. This was his first time chasing a girl, and his methods weren’t very polished. In fact, because he was too direct, he came across as a bit frivolous."I'm honored." Shang Zhi Tao's words weren't entirely polite formalities. "I don't dislike you, and being with you is very comfortable. I really think it's too fast—so fast that we haven't even gotten to know each other yet."
"I want to slow down."
"Alright." Wan Jun smiled. "Then let's slow down. I have a hockey game tomorrow. Would you like to come watch?"
"Tomorrow won't work. I need to prepare work materials in the morning and pack. In the afternoon, I'm flying to Shenzhen. Our company has three major clients there, and I'll be in Shenzhen next week."
"Okay, next time then."
Shang Zhi Tao waved goodbye and went upstairs.
Strangely, even though she had worked for several years and traveled to many places, she had never been to Shenzhen. This was her first time going there. Shenzhen held a special place in Shang Zhi Tao's heart because there was someone named Xin Zhaozhou there.
People are strange—they always remember the first things most vividly. Like the first love, the first breakup, the first trip.
When they broke up, one went south, the other north, prepared never to see each other again for the rest of their lives.
Later, Shang Zhi Tao heard from classmates that Xin Zhaozhou had taken advantage of government policies and opened a foreign trade company in Shenzhen. At first, business was tough, and his parents used all their savings to support him. Starting last year, business improved. He closed a few big deals and suddenly became "Boss Xin."
Xin Zhaozhou once called her late at night. He had gotten her number from a classmate and sounded a bit drunk. He mumbled over the phone, "Shang Zhi Tao, I have money now. Come to Shenzhen and be a wealthy wife, okay? You don't need to work. I'll take care of you, for the rest of your life."
But Shang Zhi Tao wasn't the same person she used to be. She had fallen in love with someone else and found joy in her work. She could never be the kind of wealthy wife who stayed home doing beauty treatments and yoga, because she loved working.
"I'm sorry, Xin Zhaozhou. I can't go to Shenzhen to marry you, but I'll contact you when I'm in Shenzhen."
They could meet, catch up—after all, they had shared the most innocent and purest time of their lives together.
But Shang Zhi Tao never contacted him.
While packing, she saw a message from a Shenzhen phone number: "Are you coming to Shenzhen on business? —Xin Zhaozhou."
Shang Zhi Tao remembered she had made plans to have dinner with two college classmates working in Shenzhen. Xin Zhaozhou must have found out.
She replied, "Yes."
"If I show up, will you turn and leave?"
"No."
"Then let me treat everyone to dinner."
"That's too generous."
Shang Zhi Tao remembered their student days when neither of them had much spending money. Xin Zhaozhou would take her out on weekends to treat her—sometimes barbecue, sometimes hotpot, sometimes a buffet. He never wanted his girlfriend to suffer.
She was grateful for that time when Xin Zhaozhou loved her.
While boarding the plane, she saw Luan Nian and greeted him, "Hello, luke." She sat a few seats away in the same row, took out a book from her bag, and started reading. People came and went around her, but she never looked up. Even when Luan Nian went to buy coffee and returned, her posture hadn't changed.After boarding, everyone headed towards economy class. The Airbus 330 was spacious, with two seats by the window. Shang Zhi Tao had checked in late, so her seat was toward the back. She found it odd that Luan Nian wasn’t flying first class, but even in economy, he could have at least chosen the emergency exit row or the first row. Yet he kept walking toward the back, stopping at her row to stow his luggage.
Shang Zhi Tao glanced at her own seat, worried she might have misread it—their seats were next to each other. Luan Nian watched coldly as she struggled with her suitcase, finally standing up to take it from her when she raised her arms, revealing a glimpse of her fair waistline. He silently helped her stow it away.
Luan Nian didn’t quite understand why, with so many beautiful clothes in the world, she had chosen one that exposed her waist. He turned sideways to let her in, while she held her breath and leaned her head back slightly to avoid physical contact with him. She let out a quiet sigh of relief as she sat down, while Luan Nian silently took the aisle seat.
Neither of them spoke. Luan Nian took out his phone to reply to messages, while Shang Zhi Tao updated her colleagues from the Guangzhou branch about her itinerary. They would arrange a car to pick them up from the airport. She was benefiting from Luan Nian’s presence. She put on her headphones and closed her eyes to sleep. Perhaps it was Xin Zhaozhou’s messages that had unsettled her—she hadn’t slept well the night before. Now, she felt a little drowsy and didn’t even notice when the plane took off.
Once the plane was airborne, strong light streamed in. Luan Nian leaned over to close the window shade, and as he withdrew his hand, he saw Shang Zhi Tao open her eyes. Their faces were less than ten centimeters apart, and she caught the familiar scent of his aftershave.
She pretended to be calm, adjusting her seat backward to escape the oppressive feeling he brought. His gaze was deep yet slightly cold, as if Shang Zhi Tao had somehow offended him.
Luan Nian returned to his seat, ignoring the fleeting distraction he had just felt.
The inner turmoil stirred again in both of them, with Shang Zhi Tao’s agitation particularly intense. She curled up, determined to avoid any contact with Luan Nian, even the slightest brush of their clothes.
After the plane landed, Shang Zhi Tao turned on her phone, and a call came in immediately. It was from the same number that had sent her a message the night before—Xin Zhaozhou’s. After a moment’s thought, she answered, “Hi.”
It had been years since she last heard Xin Zhaozhou’s voice, and it carried a nostalgic tone. “Tao Tao.”
He called her Tao Tao. Back then, he had playfully called her by various names—Shang Zhi Tao, Tao Tao, Zhi Tao, Peach—all according to his whims. Shang Zhi Tao remained silent.
“You’ve landed, right?” Xin Zhaozhou asked.
“Yes.”
“I’m at the airport to pick you up. Want to spend some time together?”
“Okay.”
Shang Zhi Tao wanted to refuse, but she felt she had nothing to hide and no reason to avoid him. What had happened between them was years ago. They had both moved on with their work and lives. Times had changed, and there was no need to dwell on the past.
She hung up and called her colleague from the Guangzhou branch. “Lee, just pick up Luke.”
“Yes, I have a friend in Shenzhen who happens to be at the airport to pick me up.”
“Mm, also in the parking lot. I’ll go with Luke.”
Shang Zhi Tao ended the call and spoke to Luan Nian for the first time since boarding. “Lee has arranged a car to pick you up. It’s in the parking lot. I’ll get the location sent to me shortly and take you there.”
“Mm.”
He simply acknowledged it but made no move to get up. Shang Zhi Tao watched as passengers began to disembark, but Luan Nian remained seated. Unable to hold back, she asked him, “Aren’t you getting off?”
“What’s the rush?”
Shang Zhi Tao fell silent. When most passengers had disembarked, Luan Nian finally stood up, took his luggage, and walked ahead without waiting for her.Shang Zhi Tao knew he was doing it on purpose. She stood on tiptoe to retrieve her luggage, then jogged a few steps to catch up with him.
“There’s no work schedule tonight, right? If not, I’ll go off on my own. I’ve made plans with a friend.”
“A friend?”
“An ex-boyfriend.” Shang Zhi Tao enunciated the three words clearly, smiling at Luan Nian.
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