Chapter 36: Unusually Beautiful

Shang Zhitao stood by the door for a while, and Luan Nian emerged from the bathroom wearing only a towel, water droplets falling from his hair—he was a sight to behold. But she didn’t have time to admire him; instead, she pointed toward his bedroom: “Luke… there’s another bathroom in your bedroom. You can shower there too.” Why did he have to compete with her? She was worried about being late for work. Shang Zhitao had never been late before, and she was genuinely concerned about it. She was still fretting over how to leave.

Luan Nian ignored her and walked into the walk-in closet to change. Creative people had high standards when it came to their appearance. Luan Nian’s clothes were impeccably tailored—simple yet sophisticated. Unlike other creative individuals who dressed flamboyantly or uniquely, his outfits were more understated. Yet, when worn by him, they exuded a distinct charm.

After changing, he saw that Shang Zhitao had finished freshening up and looked refreshed. She didn’t wear makeup, and today she hadn’t even used moisturizer—she hadn’t brought any, and Luan Nian’s house lacked women’s skincare products. Her face remained plain but beautiful. Fortunately, her skin was flawless—fair and rosy—and she looked good without any enhancements. The only thing troubling her was the hickey on her collarbone.

Shang Zhitao examined herself in the mirror, recalling how Luan Nian’s teeth had pressed against her skin and his tongue had lightly swept over it. She had once thought of Luan Nian as cold and rigid, assuming he wouldn’t be gentle or patient during intimacy. She even imagined he might be mechanical, devoid of any skill. How wrong she had been—his technique was as top-notch as his creativity.

Shang Zhitao fiddled with the drawstrings on her sweater, tightening them to cover her neck, though it looked somewhat odd.

“Do you have any band-aids at home?” she asked casually as she followed Luan Nian downstairs. A band-aid over the mark would do wonders.

“Trying to cover it up will only make it more obvious.”

“…”

“So afraid of others knowing you’re sexually active?”

“No… It’s just awkward to explain if they ask.” Shang Zhitao scrambled for an excuse.

Luan Nian paused and glanced at her. “What’s so hard to explain? Just tell them it’s mine.” His tone made it unclear whether he was serious or joking.

Shang Zhitao was momentarily speechless and decided to shut up. When they reached the first floor, however, Luan Nian turned into the kitchen, took out two plates, and handed one to Shang Zhitao: “Eat before you go.”

So Luan Nian could even make breakfast. Shang Zhitao felt a bit embarrassed. She had always thought that since starting work, she’d been busy and flustered. Whenever she encountered Luan Nian in the mornings at the office, she had assumed he must have someone taking care of everything for him, allowing him to live such a leisurely life.

But now she realized no one handled things for him. He woke up early to exercise, shower, and prepare breakfast—all on his own. He didn’t even hire a housekeeper. Was he saving money to buy bags for women?

She took a bite of the sandwich—it was delicious. As good as her usual bread and milk. No, her milk wasn’t as good as Luan Nian’s. His warm milk was sprinkled with osmanthus flowers—it tasted amazing.

“Luke, your breakfast is really delicious,” Shang Zhitao gave him a thumbs-up. “This milk is incredible. If I could have another cup, that would be great.”

Luan Nian didn’t respond to her flattery but took her cup, refilled it with milk, and sprinkled dried osmanthus petals on top. Shang Zhitao finally understood why that woman had cried and refused to break up with him over the phone and caused a scene at their company. Who could easily let go of a boyfriend who was so caring, skilled in bed, and generous with gifts? It would take losing half her life to do so.

Fortunately, they were just casual partners. She didn’t have high expectations, so she didn’t need to lose that half-life.

Riding in Luan Nian’s car to the office, Shang Zhitao wondered where he would drop her off. But Luan Nian never stopped the car, driving straight into the underground parking garage. It was still early, and the garage was nearly empty. As he reversed into his parking spot, Shang Zhitao carefully scanned the area to ensure no one was around. Once he parked, she opened the door and bolted out, not even fully closing it behind her for fear of being seen.

Luan Nian watched her fleeing figure and thought her utterly foolish. Others in her position would have wanted the whole world to know, hoping to gain special treatment.

As usual, she bought coffee and went upstairs. Walking into the office area, she saw Shang Zhitao already seated at her computer, working. Luan Nian entered his office and began his day. They crossed paths once in the office area, and Shang Zhitao acted as if nothing had happened, following her colleagues like before.

That day, the company released the results of the email investigation. Tracy personally sent out the email, stating: After thorough investigation, it has been confirmed that Luan Nian did not engage in multiple relationships simultaneously, either inside or outside the company. The photos presented in the email were analyzed by the technical department and determined to be digitally altered—the man in the photos was not Luan Nian. Luan Nian did indeed date the woman in question for six months, but they parted ways amicably. Further details involving privacy will not be disclosed in this announcement. Additionally, the company investigated the leak of employee information. The technical department conducted data retrieval and analysis, finding no evidence of unauthorized operations within the internal network. The above findings will be publicly displayed for seven days. If anyone has additional information, please contact us.

Aside from clearing Luan Nian’s name, the email revealed almost nothing else. This was the company culture—keeping things low-key unless one party was determined to destroy the other. Tracy had consulted Luan Nian about whether to disclose the results of the information leak. He simply said: “Considering it’s a first offense, we can continue monitoring. But we should still have a conversation—just the three of us.” As for who exactly leaked the employee information, it was never mentioned.

Shang Zhitao read the email and remembered asking him last night: “Do any female colleagues from the company come to your house?”

Luan Nian had replied: “What? Are you planning to find sisters?”

She admitted she didn’t know much about Luan Nian, but at this moment, she believed him a little. Perhaps Luan Nian was someone with a sharp tongue, but he wasn’t as cold-blooded as his words suggested. Thinking this, Shang Zhitao suddenly felt a pang of fear. Had her brain been controlled by her lower desires? Were all the things she saw and heard false?

Lost in deep thought, she didn’t hear Lumi calling her several times.

Lumi glided over on her chair, legs extended, stopping right in front of her. She waved a hand in front of Shang Zhitao’s face: “What’s wrong? Lost your soul?”

Shang Zhitao snapped back to reality and quickly asked, “What is it?”

“Did you see the announcement?”

“Yes…”

“I told you this guy was framed. Look, I was right.” Lumi chuckled, noticing the faint marks peeking out from under Shang Zhitao’s strange collar, and clicked her tongue twice: “Sis, don’t you know you’re practically shouting, ‘I’m hiding something’? Be bold and say it—’Last night, I had sex!’ What’s embarrassing about that? Look at Linda from the sales department; she brags about her conquests every day.”

Shang Zhitao blushed: “Don’t tease me.”

She pulled her collar higher and then said to Lumi, “During today’s morning meeting, they mentioned a small research project. Do you think I could apply to be the project manager? It’s a small project, and it seems no one wants to take it. Since I haven’t managed a project before, it would be a good learning opportunity.”

“Of course! If you want it, go talk to Alex. We’ll solve any problems together.” Lumi patted her shoulder: “Go for it!”

Shang Zhitao smiled shyly: “Lumi, why don’t you ever take on projects? You’re so capable—you could do anything perfectly.”

“Why bother exhausting myself? I’m not short on money. Being an ordinary employee isn’t bad, is it?”

“All right, all right.” Shang Zhitao gave Lumi a thumbs-up: “You’re truly tough.”

Lumi laughed, patting her head: “Thank the country, thank my great-grandparents, thank my parents.”

Lumi was incredibly straightforward. She had no ambition for work—having something to do was enough. She was a big slacker, but whatever task she took on, she executed flawlessly. Lumi’s presence made Shang Zhitao realize that colleagues came in many forms—not everyone was climbing the corporate ladder.

“If I take on this project and run into trouble, will you still teach me?” Shang Zhitao felt she couldn’t do without Lumi. Without her, she might not have lasted this long at Lingmei.

“What kind of nonsense is that? If I don’t help you, who will? That annoying Kitty?” Lumi despised Kitty. Every day, Kitty put on airs, showing different faces to different people—bosses, peers, and outsourced workers. This chameleon thrived in the workplace, and Luke even let her handle the creative work for a project independently. Wasn’t that just blind?

“When you have time, learn a thing or two from Kitty. Look at how she treats her superiors and gets all the good projects. That’s real gold,” Lumi said earnestly. “There are people who fall for that kind of act.”

As they spoke, they saw Kitty enter Luan Nian’s office. Kitty dressed provocatively. Even in late autumn, she wore a tight-fitting mini dress paired with black over-the-knee boots, exposing her pale, smooth legs. Passing by, she left a trail of fragrance.

She carried a stack of printed materials and placed them on Luan Nian’s desk. Instead of sitting across from him, she stood beside him, leaning on the desk, fully displaying her figure.

“Tsk, tsk.” Lumi clicked her tongue: “See that? Learn from her. Your body is better than hers.”

Shang Zhitao recalled the intense look in Luan Nian’s eyes when his hand had covered hers in the car. She blushed slightly: “No. I feel uncomfortable.”

“Be confident, Little Peach. You need to be more confident.” Lumi returned to her seat and started working.

Shang Zhitao glanced at Luan Nian’s office again. He was frowning, seemingly deep in thought.

Luan Nian frowned because he disliked Kitty’s perfume. He believed women should wear perfume, but it depended on the occasion. Today’s scent was too strong. He pointed to the seat across from him: “Kitty, sit there and wait for me.”

“Okay.” Kitty sat neatly across from Luan Nian, crossing one leg over the other, staring at him intently.

Luan Nian completely ignored her gaze.

He was reviewing the creative draft Kitty had submitted. Kitty was highly talented; her bold use of color and strong visual impact made this print ad striking. However, it didn’t align well with the brand.

“Communicate with the client,” Luan Nian didn’t directly point out her issues but encouraged her to interact with the client herself—it would help her grow faster.

“Should I communicate in person? The client is in Shanghai.”

“In person would be better.”

“Will you come with me? I feel less confident without you.” Kitty was showing weakness and loyalty. Luan Nian smiled at her: “Grace will accompany you.”

“Okay.”

Kitty left, but her perfume lingered in Luan Nian’s office. He got up to open the window. When he sat back down, he noticed a few people from the marketing department talking in the hallway. Shang Zhitao stood among them, her ponytail neatly tied, clean and simple, with perfect posture. She stood out starkly from the surrounding atmosphere.

Strangely beautiful.