Chapter 53: Chaos and Defeat Without a Fight…

Later, Shang Zhitao would travel to many places, but this trip would always remain her favorite. It was the time when they were young and carefree, trudging up the mountain paths, leaving towering peaks beneath their feet. The best trips, she realized, are those taken with people you truly connect with.

They returned to Beijing on Sunday, still feeling as though the journey hadn’t ended. Zhang Lei suggested having another meal at home to reflect on their travel experiences. Everyone wanted hotpot, so Sun Yu prepared the base at home, while Shang Zhitao and Sun Yuanzhu went to the market to buy ingredients, and Zhang Lei headed to the supermarket for drinks.

On the way to the market, Shang Zhitao overheard Sun Yuanzhu taking a call. It seemed to be his father asking for money. He agreed, saying he’d transfer it to the bank in the afternoon. Then he asked about his father’s health, his sister’s grades, and whether his mother was still losing hair. These were ordinary questions, but Sun Yuanzhu’s tone carried warmth, an affectionate concern that reminded Shang Zhitao of how her own father spoke to her on the phone.

Every now and then, she glanced at Sun Yuanzhu. His glasses reflected a faint glimmer in the late summer sunlight of Beijing.

This quiet man had said something so bold when they saw the sunrise: “I wish I could jump into the sea of clouds.”

After hanging up, he apologized to Shang Zhitao: “Sorry, that call took a while.”

“No problem. My dad talks to me for at least an hour whenever he calls.” Shang Zhitao chuckled. The Shang family lived comfortably, neither extravagantly rich nor struggling. She was an ordinary girl raised in a loving household, easily lost in a crowd.

“You look like someone from a very happy family,” Sun Yuanzhu remarked.

“Ah? How can you tell?”

“Girls who are pure and sunny are usually spoiled by their parents.” Sun Yuanzhu turned to smile at her. “So don’t let yourself get hurt, or your parents will be heartbroken.”

“I’ve never really been hurt.”

“So your love life is happy too?”

Shang Zhitao wanted to say she wasn’t in a relationship, but there was a small string tugging at her heart—a fragile boundary she couldn’t cross without causing tremors. On one side was her pride, which she couldn’t share with others; on the other, a misplaced affection she also couldn’t reveal.

“It’s… fine.”

“Fine isn’t enough. Your parents won’t settle for just ‘fine’ in your love life. And neither will we—we all want it to be great.”

Shang Zhitao stayed silent, pointing instead to the lamb and beef stall. “Today, I’m buying meat! Lots of meat!”

“Why? You work hard for your money.”

“You guys always say I earn less than you, but I just have a lower income. Our efforts are equal.” Shang Zhitao put on a serious face, reasoning with Sun Yuanzhu. “And besides, I’m buying meat because I got a raise! Isn’t it customary to treat others after your first salary increase?”

Sun Yuanzhu nodded. “True, today you must treat us.”

“So you really like the sea of clouds?” Shang Zhitao asked.

“I really do.” Sun Yuanzhu didn’t hesitate.

That evening, they gathered around the hotpot, laughing and enjoying themselves. As Shang Zhitao sipped her cola, she suddenly thought about Luan Nian’s bouquet of flowers. Had he delivered them? Did he pick them out himself? Did he suggest how they should be arranged?

She cared more about the bouquet than about Luan Nian himself. She admitted to herself that she envied the woman who received those flowers.

In the middle of the meal, Lumi sent a message brimming with excitement: “Shang Zhitao! Guess who I saw?”

“Who?”

“Luke! Remember I told you about the old house in my grandma’s hutong that was rented to a fairy?”

“Yeah, I remember.”

“I went back to the hutong today to pick up some things, and I saw Luke! Holding a bouquet of flowers! In my grandma’s house!!”

The world was so small.

Too small.

The bouquet Shang Zhitao coveted was now in the hands of the fairy living in Lumi’s grandma’s house.

“What’s the fairy’s name?”

“Such a gossip! Hahaha!” Lumi was more than happy to share the juicy details with Shang Zhitao. “Her name is Zang Yao. The fairy’s name is Zang Yao.”

“That’s nice.”

Shang Zhitao imagined Luan Nian carefully selecting the bouquet, coordinating colors, and suggesting how it should be wrapped. He must have chosen a rare and beautiful arrangement.

“I really want to receive a bouquet of flowers,” she suddenly said to Sun Yu. “Could you send me one?”

Sun Yu nearly spat out her drink, managing to swallow before coughing and asking, “Are we going to balance pragmatism and romanticism in our interactions now?”

Zhang Lei burst out laughing. “It’s just a bouquet of flowers! Give me your address, big brother will send you one.”

“Why do you want flowers?” Sun Yu interrupted Zhang Lei to ask Shang Zhitao.

“Because all my female colleagues have received flowers, except me.” Shang Zhitao wasn’t lying. Lingmei’s girls were stunning, and it was common to see men waiting downstairs with bouquets for them. When the pretty girls received flowers, they’d share them with their female coworkers, spreading romance throughout the office.

“It’s rare to see our Shang Zhitao show some ambition. Big brother will send you flowers for five days straight,” Zhang Lei promised, patting his chest. “Each day will be different.”

“You seem to know a lot,” Sun Yu teased.

Zhang Lei shrugged. “Even if you haven’t eaten pork, haven’t you seen pigs run?”

Sure enough, on Monday morning, Shang Zhitao received a bouquet. She carried the fresh flowers upstairs to her desk. Her female colleagues predictably gathered around, teasing her: “Oh, little girl, does this mean someone’s pursuing you?”

Shang Zhitao blushed—not out of happiness but from embarrassment. Only she knew the truth behind the bouquet: it was her shallow pride and competitive spirit talking. She secretly messaged Zhang Lei: “I received the flowers, thank you, Brother Lei.”

“? I haven’t sent anything yet!”

... Shang Zhitao froze, standing up to search for a card among the flowers. Sure enough, there was one, bearing a simple message: “Wishing you good vibes.”

That was it.

So who sent me these flowers? Sun Yu? She asked Sun Yu, who denied it. Then she asked Sun Yuanzhu, who also shook his head.

The next day, another bouquet arrived on time.

Then the third day, the fourth, and the fifth—without fail.

By the fifth day, Shang Zhitao had become the envy of her female colleagues. When she went to the pantry to refill her water, Tracy even approached her, smiling, and asked, “Young lady, are you in love? Your boyfriend is quite romantic.”

Shang Zhitao nodded, then shook her head. She wanted to say she didn’t know who sent the flowers, but just then, she saw Luan Nian passing by. She simply smiled at Tracy.

Shang Zhitao didn’t realize she had fallen into a strange cycle. Her heart, restless because of Luan Nian, craved comparison. If others had something, she wanted it too. She didn’t even know what she was competing for—perhaps it was pride, or maybe something simpler: if you can’t give it to me, someone else will.

On Friday evening, she carried the flowers onto the elevator and saw Luan Nian, just returning from a client meeting. She greeted him politely: “Hello, Luke.”

Luan Nian glanced at the flowers in her arms and remarked, “Nice bouquet, but it doesn’t suit you.”

“What kind of flower would suit me?”

His tone was indifferent as ever: “Dogtail grass.” He pressed the elevator door button and didn’t spare her another glance.

Suddenly, Shang Zhitao felt deflated.

What was the point? From the moment she started comparing herself, she had already lost. She tossed the bouquet into the trash bin and boarded the bus home. This Friday, she wouldn’t be going to Luan Nian’s place. Instead, she would fly out early Saturday morning with her department colleagues to Phuket for their perfect vacation.

This vacation would surely be perfect—if not for spotting Luan Nian at the boarding gate.

“Isn’t that Luke?” Shang Zhitao asked Lumi.

“Yes, isn’t that Luke? Is he going to Phuket with us?”

“Why is he going to Phuket with us?”

Their whispers reached Luan Nian’s ears. He removed his sunglasses, hooking them onto his shirt collar, and turned to respond: “Probably because I’m the boss, and I go wherever I want?”

...

That remark was infuriating.

Shang Zhitao and Lumi forced smiles. Lumi, quick-witted, retorted: “Indeed, bosses always seem to have better hearing than the rest of us.”

Lumi was puzzled—why did everyone else talk loudly, yet their hushed conversation reached the ears of this “plague”? Not only did he hear, but he even chimed in? A typical Beijing girl wouldn’t tolerate such behavior unless the person was her unyielding boss.

Luan Nian watched as Lumi and Shang Zhitao looked like two defeated roosters, which lifted his spirits immensely. While queuing to board, he walked beside Shang Zhitao and suddenly asked, “Didn’t the flowers arrive at the airport today?”

The fact that Shang Zhitao received flowers had become fodder for Luan Nian’s mockery. She pretended not to hear, plugging in her earphones to listen to music. Those days, she listened to For My Future Self . She felt childish and shallow, needing a song to heal her discontent.

She had once imagined what her future self would look like. She pictured herself doing well, owning a small apartment in Beijing, running a small business that supported her, surrounded by good friends, and raising a dog.

Yes, a dog named Luke—an Alaskan Malamute. Every day, she’d walk him, diligently picking up after him and setting rules: “Luke! Sit! Luke! Stand up! Luke! No treats if you misbehave!”

Her vision of the future was vivid and specific.

There was no Luan Nian in it, but there was a dog named Luke.

When they reached the first-class cabin, Shang Zhitao assumed Luan Nian would stop. According to company policy, his travel standards included first-class flights and five-star hotels or higher. To her surprise, he followed the group and sat in the emergency exit row, his long legs blocking the aisle.

Alex praised him to the female colleagues: “Luke is amazing. He almost always flies economy class for business trips, refusing special treatment.”

Shang Zhitao didn’t hear the compliment. Her eyes were closed, listening to music, imagining herself beating up Luke in her mind because he had fallen in love with the neighbor’s dog and refused to come home.

Phuket wasn’t as hot as she had imagined.

The sand was fine, the sea a deep, clear blue. Shang Zhitao was pleased that her first trip abroad was here. She shared a sea-view room with Lumi. Opening the window revealed the ocean, making her dizzy with its beauty.

After arriving at the hotel, they rested first, planning group activities for the evening.

“When are we wearing our bikinis?” Shang Zhitao lay on the bed, alternately lifting her legs, feeling relaxed and carefree.

“Which one did you end up buying?”

Shang Zhitao perked up, jumping off the bed to dig out the bikini from her suitcase. “Look!”

Lumi sighed. “Sister, is this really a bikini?”

Shang Zhitao had chosen a one-piece, backless swimsuit. The front was modest, but the back featured a plunging V that extended to her waist—the most revealing style she deemed acceptable.

“I won’t let you wear that to sunbathe with me,” Lumi wagged her finger. “Absolutely not.”

“Huh?”

Shang Zhitao watched as Lumi pulled out two items from her suitcase and tossed them to her. “This is a bikini. Understand? Today, Sister is gifting you a real bikini. You must catch the eye of a foreign hunk on the beach, or we’re ending our friendship.”

Shang Zhitao burst into laughter. “Deal!”