Gоng Yuе аnd thе оthеrs were hоlding а bооk сlub at the bar, аnd Shаng Zhi Taо sat to thе sidе, listеning аttеntivеly. Yet hеr mind was preoccuрiеd with the "аdventurе" Luаn Niаn hаd mentiоnеd.
Luаn Niаn wаs alsо sitting beside her аnd аsked, "Нaving fun?"
"What?"
"Thе book сlub."
"It's quite fun." Shang Zhi Тао еnjоуеd this kind of atmоsрherе, whеrе evеryоnе exсhаnged thоughts and insights about а book, making реоplе feel less likе isоlаted islаnds.
"Наvе уоu attеndеd befоre?" Luаn Nian askеd her.
"Yеs. With..." Shаng Zhi Тaо wаntеd tо say with Sun Yuanzhu, but thеn she remembered hоw Luan Nian had rеjectеd her оvеr the рhone last year, saying, "You're sharing an apartment with that ambiguous male roommate of yours." She didn't want Sun Yuanzhu to face such criticism, even if he wasn't there at the moment. So she said, "With a group of friends."
She felt a bit of fear because Wan Jun had asked her to get rid of Luke before confirming their relationship, and Xin Zhaozhou had asked her to move to Shenzhen with him. In her mind, romance also represented a certain kind of conditional exchange, requiring sacrifices.
Seeing her evasive answer, Luan Nian asked, "Do you want to move in with me?"
"What?"
Luan Nian had startled her again. If it were before, like in the first or second year, and he had asked her this, she would have happily agreed. But now, she could only ask, "What?"
"What" meant refusal.
Luan Nian fell silent. After a while, he stood up. "Let's go, it's getting late."
"Okay."
The two of them still went to eat fish. When the owner saw Shang Zhi Tao, he smiled. "Haven't seen you in a while!"
"Yeah! I've been a bit busy."
As soon as she finished speaking, she remembered Luke catching fish here last time and quickly turned to look for him. Too late—Luke was already back in the water.
This time, Shang Zhi Tao was a little calmer. She called out to Luke from the shore, "Get out of there right now, and I won't scold you."
Luke ignored her, feeling particularly happy. I must have done really well today, so they brought me swimming, he thought, paddling even harder.
The fish restaurant was crowded today, and everyone gathered by the pond to watch the beautiful Samoyed catch fish. The Samoyed was truly impressive, catching four big fish in no time. Unable to catch Luke, Shang Zhi Tao stomped her feet in frustration. "Just you wait!" She glared at Luan Nian. "Do something!"
Only after enjoying the spectacle did Luan Nian put his fingers to his lips and let out a sharp whistle. Hearing it, Luke swam back, jumped onto the shore, shook off his fur, sat down, and looked at Luan Nian. Shang Zhi Tao suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. The dog I've raised for years actually listens to Luan Nian.
"See? Even dogs need training. You only care about feeding him every day but haven't taught him anything. What can he learn from being with you?" Luan Nian's words were deliberately provocative, making Shang Zhi Tao glare at him several times, but he acted as if he didn't notice.
Shang Zhi Tao asked the owner for a large towel to dry Luke, scolding him softly as she did. "Are you a snob? Do you only like whoever gives you meat? Well, I walk you and take care of you every day! How can you be so ungrateful?"
Luke, unwilling to back down, naturally argued back. His defiance only made Shang Zhi Tao angrier, and soon, the two of them were quarreling.
Luan Nian stood to the side, watching her scold the dog, thinking that Shang Zhi Tao's mind would probably always be like this. Arguing so heatedly with a dog was far less effective than him training it with a couple of pieces of meat.
Their recently repaired relationship couldn't bear too much pressure. They were afraid that one wrong move would send them back to square one. Luan Nian drove Shang Zhi Tao home and asked her as she got out of the car, "Is anyone home?""No."
"Shall I come up for a bit?" Luan Nian took the initiative to suggest going upstairs. Shang Zhi Tao was a bit surprised and instinctively asked him, "Why?"
"?"
"My roommates and I agreed not to bring strangers home." "If I remember correctly, we were quite intimate last night."
Shang Zhi Tao's face flushed slightly. She got out of the car, took Luke down, and said to Luan Nian, "It's late. Goodnight."
Life went on uneventfully. During this time, Shang Zhi Tao went to the northwest twice and rented an apartment in that small county town. Lumi was obsessed with the idea of sleeping with Will, but Will never gave her another chance. He still disliked her as much as ever and scolded her just the same. By summer, Shang Zhi Tao's assignment was finally about to take effect. She was overjoyed and sent Sun Yuanzhu an address, asking, "How far is this from you?"
Sun Yuanzhu didn't reply until noon: "Sorry, I was just running a test. Less than thirty kilometers from me. What's up?"
Shang Zhi Tao was thrilled and called him immediately. As soon as the call connected, her cheerful voice rang out: "Sun Yuanzhu, I applied for an assignment on an S+ project. The address I just sent you is the apartment I rented!"
"Really?" Sun Yuanzhu was clearly delighted. "How long is the assignment? When will you arrive?"
"I'll be there in two weeks!"
"Then I'll take time off to be your tour guide for a couple of days and show you around. How does that sound?"
"Great."
After hanging up, Lumi came over and asked, "So happy to see Brother Yuanzhu?"
"He's a good friend."
"Not considering... not considering promoting your good friend?"
Shang Zhi Tao quickly shook her head. "Don't talk nonsense."
Lumi chuckled a couple of times, then said to her, "You know what? I heard a new girl joined your planning department. She's 22, graduated from Columbia, won a major award while still in school, and she came with funding. The company hired her at a high salary."
"Wow, 22. She must have gotten a high position, right?"
"Same level as you." Lumi patted her shoulder. "Sis, the environment in the planning department is too harsh, the competition is fierce. Why don't you come back to the marketing department?"
"Your Will, for some reason, really dislikes me too. I'm not going back to the marketing department either." The two of them laughed and joked their way through the conversation.
The day after Lumi gossiped with Shang Zhi Tao, the girl arrived. A 22-year-old woman, wearing a haute couture dress, exuding a crisp and minimalist elegance, and beautiful to boot—standing there, she naturally looked like a painting. Tracy brought her into Luan Nian's office. Shang Zhi Tao saw Luan Nian stand up to greet her. They shook hands, and the girl's face flushed slightly.
Lumi messaged Shang Zhi Tao: "Flora, do you know what I just smelled?"
"What smell?"
"The smell of a perfect match, made in heaven, the scent of an affair."
"Nonsense. There's a big age gap!"
"Are you sure? Would a young girl think a man like Luke is too old? She'd pounce on him and then show him off to everyone around her. A man's charm isn't really tied to age. Age affects stamina, hardness, endurance—but those things can be made up for with skill and vanity. You're too naive." Lumi started talking nonsense again.
"Are you sure age affects stamina and hardness?" Shang Zhi Tao asked her.Lumi sent a thoughtful emoji: "I haven't slept with anyone too old either. For someone like Will in his thirties, wait until I've tried him out and I'll let you know."
Shang Zhi Tao couldn't help but chuckle at her desk, thinking, I could tell you—so far, there doesn't seem to be any impact. Or maybe guys in their twenties are even more impressive, but she just hasn't experienced it yet.
Lumi was practically obsessed these days, constantly thinking about how to sleep with Will. Every morning, the first thing they said to each other was:
"Can Lumi sleep with Will today?"
And when saying goodnight before bed, the last line was always:
"Lumi didn'tt sleep with Will today, gotta keep trying tomorrow!"
Shang Zhi Tao didn’t say anything more, but when she went to get water, she glanced at Luan Nian’s office. She didn’t know what they were discussing, but all three people in the office were laughing.
The girl’s name was Song Ying, with the English name Yilia—a name that suited her perfectly. Luan Nian personally brought her out to introduce her to the planning department colleagues. Shang Zhi Tao heard Luan Nian introduce her: "This is Yilia, a young prodigy here to help us tackle some difficult projects."
Luan Nian had never said anything about "inviting someone to help us tackle difficult projects." In his eyes, there were no difficult projects, only incompetent people. And no one had ever received the treatment of being personally introduced by Luan Nian on their first day at the company, so everyone looked at Yilia with a kind of forced friendliness—the kind that comes from authority. When it came to Shang Zhi Tao, it was the same routine.
"Yilia will sit next to Flora. Flora will be stationed in the Northwest in a while. Before she leaves, get familiar with the work with her. She knows all the company processes best."
"Hello, Flora." Song Ying extended her hand to Shang Zhi Tao: "Please take care of me."
Shang Zhi Tao had never held such a soft hand before. Someone with hands like that must be cherished by heaven, spared from any hardship.
"Yilia, I have a lot to learn from you."
"Teaching and learning go hand in hand," Yilia replied, neither humble nor arrogant.
Shang Zhi Tao suddenly remembered her own first day at the company, like a startled bird, terrified of making mistakes and being fired, her heart filled with anxiety. She hadn’t possessed Yilia’s confident demeanor.
Five years had passed just like that.
She thought as she sat down.
Yilia wasn’t like Kitty either. Her resume was more impressive than Kitty’s, but her personality was exceptionally good. By the end of the workday, she had already blended in with her colleagues—except for Shang Zhi Tao, who was buried in project materials. While accompanying Grace during her pumping break, Grace said, "Yilia is like a little sun. Luke must be very pleased—her onboarding mentor is Luke."
"It’s wonderful to have talent," Shang Zhi Tao praised her sincerely. But at the time, she only said it that way. She couldn’t imagine what it truly meant for someone to be talented. It wasn’t until the day before her departure, in the meeting room, when Yilia presented a design draft for a client—entirely hand-drawn, exquisitely beautiful."I gathered a lot of information, but I'm not sure if my understanding is correct. Based on the client's tone, I hope their print ads will appear in this style." She picked up a stack of drawings from the floor and showed them to everyone: "The story I want to tell is about a flower grower living at the edge of the sky. Her flowers bloom only once every ten years, and during those ten years, she must stay there, waiting for them to blossom. This is the spirit of craftsmanship the flower client wants to convey."
"After the flowers bloom, a hundred suitors come seeking them. The flower grower looks upon the men and women of the world and gives ten exquisite flowers to them, symbolizing that flowers are gifted to those destined to receive them."
"..."
As Yilia spoke earnestly, Shang Zhi Tao felt she was truly dazzling. In her hands were her own hand-drawn illustrations, blending mythology with flowers, people, and love. Her presentation was coherent and logical, every sentence aligning with the client's needs and tone. She was truly a master storyteller.
Such a young woman, so radiant and brilliant.
Shang Zhi Tao saw Luan Nian smile.
He almost never smiled during meetings, but today he did. His eyes held a bright, admiring light as he looked at Yilia.
Everyone was praising Yilia, feeling she was truly remarkable. Grace looked at Shang Zhi Tao and said to her, "Fortunately, she won't be competing with you for the expert position next year. The company requires at least five years of employment, otherwise it’s hard to say which of you would win."
"She is very talented."
It was a kind of talent Shang Zhi Tao could never possess. Some people are born with such abilities, while others, no matter how hard they try, still fall far short.
When the meeting ended, Shang Zhi Tao saw Yilia walk up to Luan Nian and ask him earnestly, "Luke, how should this version of the creative concept be adjusted? I’d like your advice."
Luan Nian took her drawings and looked them over, then said to her, "I have no suggestions. Leave it to the client and the market to evaluate."
"Thank you for guiding me the other day. It really opened my eyes." Yilia thanked him sincerely.
Teaching and learning, giving and receiving—time seemed to have come full circle, returning to the same place. Only this time, the person was different. She was beautiful, intelligent, talented, yet calm and humble, so dazzling. She was exactly the kind of subordinate and student Luan Nian greatly admired.
In the evening, as Shang Zhi Tao was packing up, she saw Yilia and another colleague still in Luan Nian’s office. They were chatting happily. Luan Nian genuinely loved his work, Shang Zhi Tao knew. He enjoyed working with smart people—it brought him joy.
He had finally found joy in his work.
Shang Zhi Tao was happy for him too.
On the subway, she received his call: "Why didn’t you wait for me?"
"I went home to pack my luggage."
"You changed your mind at the last minute?"
They had originally agreed that after work today, Luan Nian would accompany Shang Zhi Tao to pack her luggage and see her off at the airport tomorrow.
"I saw you were still working, and it was getting late."
"Just tell me, what’s wrong?" Luan Nian was a little angry. He didn’t understand why Shang Zhi Tao had changed her mind at the last minute. When he was angry, his tone wasn’t very pleasant.
"It’s too late. I need to go back and pack."
"Your flight is in the afternoon. What’s the rush?"
"I changed it to a morning flight."
"Why?"
"I want to go earlier.""Why rush to leave early? Is there someone you're eager to see?" Luan Nian hung up the phone. He hated Shang Zhi Tao's inexplicable sulking and her attitude of not properly saying goodbye to him before the trip.
On the subway, Shang Zhi Tao's eyes reddened, but she sniffled and lowered her head to send Luan Nian a message: "I ordered some home appliances, and they called today to coordinate the delivery time. It's been moved up to tomorrow afternoon."
Despite her anger, she still wanted to explain it to Luan Nian.
Luan Nian only saw her message after arriving home, then drove out again. With no traffic late at night, he reached the entrance of her neighborhood in twenty minutes and asked her, "All packed?"
"All packed."
"Come down."
"Okay."
Shang Zhi Tao went downstairs and saw Luan Nian leaning against the car smoking. She took the cigarette from him, extinguished it, and tossed it into the trash can. Noticing his unpleasant expression, she stood opposite him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and hugged him.
It was an attempt to appease him, to show vulnerability.
Seeing Luan Nian remain motionless, she took his hands and placed them around her own waist, stood on her tiptoes to kiss his jaw, unable to reach his lips. Luan Nian finally smiled. "Little shorty."
"I'm one hundred and seventy-one point five centimeters tall," Shang Zhi Tao protested, nitpicking over half a centimeter.
"One hundred and seventy-two, rounded up." Luan Nian ruffled her hair, opened the car's back door, and took out a backpack with its packaging already removed. "Change your bag."
"...Oh. Why did you remove the packaging?"
"Otherwise, let it collect dust in your home?" Luan Nian adjusted the straps for her as she put it on, casually asking, "Shang Zhi Tao, did you sell all the bags I gave you?"
Shang Zhi Tao quickly waved her hands. "No!"
Luan Nian glanced at her. "Go on up, Ms. Shang. I wish you a smooth trip to the northwest."
"Then I wish you happiness in your work and joy in your life."
"You'd better wish me less anger!"
Shang Zhi Tao didn't know how others behaved before a trip. In the end, she still brought her luggage to Luan Nian's place. On the way, she asked him, "Will you come visit me?"
"You chose to go to the northwest yourself." Luan Nian's meaning was, why didn't you think about leaving me when you made the choice?
"Then I'll come back to see you."
"I might not be here."
Shang Zhi Tao finally understood—Luan Nian was still sulking. He was that kind of person: petty and vindictive. If he was angry, it might take a long time to placate him.
That night, as Shang Zhi Tao lay beneath him, her legs wrapped around his waist, her body seeking his, he avoided her, pressing her hands to the sides. "Why so eager, Flora?"
Unable to move her hands and growing impatient, her body feeling hollow, Shang Zhi Tao suddenly grew angry at Luan Nian's arrogant demeanor.
She quieted down and, after a few seconds, said to him, "Please let go of me."
"I don't want to do this anymore."
Neither knew what the other was sulking about. Shang Zhi Tao resented his special treatment of Yilia, while Luan Nian resented her urgency to go to the northwest. Both also felt that such thoughts were laughable and beneath them.
Neither spoke. Luan Nian went to the bathroom, and when he came out, Shang Zhi Tao had already moved to the guest room.
Each lay in bed, angry. In the early hours of the morning, Shang Zhi Tao hugged Luan Nian from behind, her hands slipping under his T-shirt. Sun Yu often said she had no backbone, asking, "Shang Zhi Tao, can't you hold back? Why do you always back down after every argument? Why is it always you who has to placate him?"
To Sun Yu, Shang Zhi Tao said, "It's not like that. I don't feel like I'm backing down. I'm just communicating with him properly.""Did he communicate with you properly?"
"He's gotten much better."
Shang Zhi Tao thought that many things couldn't be compared horizontally. You couldn't compare Luan Nian with other men—other men who held their girlfriends in the palm of their hands, never uttering a harsh word. If you compared him that way, Luan Nian really wasn't worth keeping. You had to compare vertically, comparing the current him with the past him. Wasn't that much better?
Her hand slipped inside his T-shirt, her fingertips tracing the tautness of his body. Luan Nian turned over, and Shang Zhi Tao's hair fell across his face, sending a tingling sensation through his heart. That tingling spread from his neck downward, a fire that left him with no choice but to sit up, pressing her hair back with one hand while the other tightened around her waist, pulling her closer.
This position wasn't one they often used. Shang Zhi Tao couldn't bear it, her hands beating against his back, but Luan Nian found it perfect, his grip around her waist tightening even more. Only when Shang Zhi Tao let out a hoarse cry did he suddenly flip over, placing her beneath him.
Each thrust was fiercely intense, as if he were trying to expend all his strength for the future in this single night.
At the end, Luan Nian cupped her face in his hands and said to her, "If you miss me, come back."
"Or I'll come see you."
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