TES - 11

Shang Zhitao rushed into the elevator, hoisted her leg up to place her backpack on it, and hastily shoved her Business English book inside. Just as the elevator doors were about to close, they reopened, and Luan Nian stepped in wearing sunglasses.

Flustered, Shang Zhitao quickly lowered her leg, stood upright, and greeted him: “Good morning, Luke.”

“Morning,” Luan Nian replied, glancing at her through his sunglasses. Half of her Business English book was still sticking out. So the slow bird was still cramming English on the go? Unaware that Luan Nian was observing her, she stood stiffly and awkwardly. Knowing he disliked idle chit-chat, she refrained from speaking further after greeting him. Her face was solemn and earnest, as if she were preparing for battle.

She was surprised by how diligent Luan Nian appeared. During the previous week’s five workdays, except for one morning when he met with a client, he arrived early every day to handle work. When someone with talent worked harder than others, it was truly terrifying. So his earlier comment about working to earn and squander must have been a lie—he arrived earlier and left later than anyone else. Where did he have time to squander?

Shang Zhitao concluded that Luan Nian was someone who spoke insincerely. He had a sharp tongue and peculiar temperament, but he wasn’t someone who played around with life. She had never heard of anyone juggling work-life balance while enduring high-intensity, long hours at the office during weekdays.

The two exited the elevator one after the other. With his hands in his pockets, Luan Nian surprisingly greeted the cleaning lady: “Good morning, Auntie.”

The cleaning lady didn’t seem surprised: “Good morning.”

Shang Zhitao’s jaw dropped—did the aloof Luke actually have good manners? Lost in thought, she nearly bumped into him when he suddenly stopped.

“Do you always come at this time?” Luan Nian asked unexpectedly.

“Yes,” Shang Zhitao replied, her expression slightly vacant. “There’s no traffic at this hour.”

Seeing Luan Nian turn and walk away, she hurried after him and asked, “Is there any work I need to handle this morning, Luke?”

“Shouldn’t you ask your boss what work needs to be done?”

“So why did you ask me what time I arrive?” she pressed stubbornly.

“To see how long you can keep being diligent.”

Luan Nian’s sardonic smile lingered as he turned and walked off. Shang Zhitao watched him suspiciously before turning to her workstation. As she sat down, she glanced at Luan Nian’s office—he was already seated at his desk, laptop open.

She recalled Lu Mi’s words about Luan Nian: He’s stern, but very serious about work.

Lu Mi was absolutely right. Luan Nian was far more serious about work than Alex. Alex, who worked in marketing, was often absent, lost in worldly pursuits. But Alex excelled in being approachable, cheerful, and easygoing every day. Unlike Luke, who always wore a stern expression and constantly mocked others. Quite annoying indeed!

With these thoughts swirling in her mind, Shang Zhitao opened her document and began drafting her daily work plan. She knew she had no shortcuts to rely on, didn’t want to be eliminated, and refused to let Luke have his way. She remembered Luan Nian advising her to change jobs. Now, she felt that being eliminated wasn’t shameful—but having him predict her failure was unbearable.

For some reason, she found herself quietly competing with Luan Nian in her mind.

Of course, Luan Nian was unaware of Shang Zhitao’s silent rivalry. He was managing a major project, but the creative department lacked manpower, and his attempts to coordinate with other departments yielded no results. Turning to Alex, he asked, “Can you lend me two pure executors?”

“What do you mean by ‘pure executors’?”

“People who don’t need to think, just mechanically handle materials and follow processes.” After a pause, Luan Nian added, “Make sure one of them is sharp.”

“How about Lumi and Flora?” Alex understood what Luan Nian’s addendum implied—it was clearly a jab at Shang Zhitao. Still, Alex pushed back: “They’re already handling work related to your department. It makes sense to assign them.”

“No.”

“Who isn’t suitable?”

“Flora isn’t.”

“There’s no one else…” Alex started to play dumb. Others in the company tiptoed around Luan Nian, fearing he might follow through on his rumored authority. But Alex didn’t care. Marketing professionals could find jobs anywhere. If you look down on me, fine—but not on my people. At heart, Alex was fiercely protective of his team.

Luan Nian caught Alex’s meaning: Use Shang Zhitao if you want, or don’t. My marketing department has no one else to spare. Raising his eyes, he saw Shang Zhitao standing up, talking to Kitty over the partition. Kitty seemed domineering, while Shang Zhitao kept nodding obediently.

Pathetic. Groveling to her boss and unable to hold her head high among peers. Luan Nian’s brows furrowed as he said to Alex, “Fine. Can you hire some capable people? Tracy hasn’t given you the headcount yet?”

“We’re recruiting! Let me lend you these two for now. Return them to me once you’re done.”

“Fine. Have them pack tonight. We’re heading to Guangzhou tomorrow.”

And so, Shang Zhitao’s first business trip came unexpectedly. She returned home late at night to pack, then lay in bed, unable to sleep. It was just a business trip, not a wedding—why was she so excited? Giving up on sleep, she sat up, pulled out her planner, and hand-drew a simplified map of China, placing a small flag on Guangzhou. As she worked, she thought, My journey begins here. I’ll visit more places in the future.

She stayed awake until dawn, then dragged her luggage to catch the early flight. The morning mist on the airport expressway was breathtaking, painting the sky with soft hues that made everything feel gentle.

She arrived two hours early, still bathed in the morning glow, her cheeks flushed from rushing, hair cascading over her shoulders, radiating warmth. Luan Nian sipped his coffee, his gaze lingering briefly on her hurried figure. Shang Zhitao wore black-framed glasses, resembling a clumsy goose. That goose glanced at him, pretended not to see him, and sat down facing away from him.

Impressive.

Her acting was painfully obvious.

Shang Zhitao felt as though needles were pricking her back, convinced Luan Nian was staring at her. Guilty, she pretended not to notice him. What else could she do? Greet him only to be ignored? She didn’t realize her rigid posture betrayed her nervousness, as if waiting for someone to rescue her. Pitiful.

Finally, Lu Mi arrived, strutting like a model. Shang Zhitao exhaled in relief and waved to her: “Lumi!”

“Oh, you’re here early! Hey, isn’t that Luke over there?”

“Really? Is Luke here too?” Shang Zhitao pretended to turn around and saw Luan Nian absorbed in his book, seemingly oblivious.

Lu Mi pulled Shang Zhitao over to him: “Good morning, Luke.”

“Morning,” Luan Nian looked up from his book, noticing Shang Zhitao’s feigned surprise at seeing him. He smirked: “Good morning to you too, Flora.”

Huh? A proactive greeting?

Seeing the teasing in Luan Nian’s eyes, Shang Zhitao’s face flushed red: “Good morning, Luke.”

“Why are you blushing?” Lu Mi suddenly asked.

Shang Zhitao secretly poked Lu Mi’s back with her finger. Lu Mi retorted: “Why are you poking me?”

...

Luan Nian suddenly laughed—a genuine laugh.

Lu Mi, who had been at the company for two years, had never heard Luan Nian laugh like that. Surprised, she stared at him, realizing how handsome he looked when he smiled. His teeth were neat and clean, his smile radiant—nothing like his usual gloomy demeanor.

“Want some coffee?” Ignoring their stares, Luan Nian stood up and asked.

“Huh?” Shang Zhitao was slow to react.

“Yes!” Lu Mi responded quickly. If the boss was offering, take advantage of it: “Little Peach, help grab it. I just got here and am still catching my breath!”

Luan Nian took a few steps, noticed Shang Zhitao still standing there, and tossed a line over his shoulder: “Are you coming or not?”