Chapter 75: Pain

That day was an ordinary one for Lingmei. Everyone was busy at their respective posts, sometimes exchanging a few quiet words, but mostly silently typing away on their computers.

Luan Nian was in the middle of a management meeting. During the meeting, Dony was talking about revising a new strategy, but no one spoke up. Luan Nian also remained silent, only raising his head to glance at Dony with an inscrutable expression.

Tracy also raised her head to look at Dony, then lowered it and sent a message to Luan Nian: “I put on makeup especially today.”

“It’s appropriate to make it grand,” Luan Nian replied.

The meeting dragged on, but contrary to his usual behavior, Luan Nian didn’t call for an end to it. He even leaned back in his chair, watching the various departments bicker.

A little while later, Luan Nian noticed Tracy, who was accustomed to high-stakes situations, change her expression. She interrupted Dony: “Sorry, Dony, could you pause for a moment? Luke, please come out for a bit.”

Luan Nian and Tracy stepped out of the conference room. They noticed something off at the workstations; people were whispering amongst themselves, but fell silent as soon as they appeared.

Luan Nian took Tracy’s laptop and saw the email. The subject line read: “I am Flora Shang, and I formally accuse Dony, the head of the planning department, of long-term sexual harassment.”

Luan Nian felt his blood rush to his head. Something inside him seemed to collapse, causing him immense pain. He glanced at Shang Zhitao’s workstation. She sat there upright, enduring strange looks and whispers. She was so calm and composed, her lips slightly pursed, like a warrior preparing for a duel. Luan Nian would never forget that day or that image of Shang Zhitao—her courage and determination were unlike anything he had ever seen.

“Finish reading it, Luke,” Tracy said, unaware that her voice was already trembling. She thought, if she had experienced such an ordeal, how many nights would she have spent entangled in nightmares, unable to sleep?

“The first time I formally met Dony was in his office. After I explained the budget management process to him, he suddenly asked if I had a boyfriend. I asked him if this had anything to do with work, and he said no, but mentioned he was single. My intuition told me something was wrong. It came too suddenly the first time, and I had no evidence.”

“I bought a voice recorder, and every time I was alone with Dony, I turned it on.”

“The second time Dony harassed me was in the company’s pantry. While colleagues were working, I was making coffee. He walked up to me, looked me up and down, and said, ‘Flora, you look very beautiful today. Do you want to have dinner together?’ I said, ‘Sorry, I have plans tonight.’ This time, though I felt uneasy, I still thought it might just be normal workplace communication.”

“The third time was on a small road near the Dunhuang 108 hotel. He invited me to dinner the next day, and I declined. That night, he suddenly sent me a half-naked photo and said, ‘I always believe men should be disciplined. Flora, do you want to join me in fitness?’ I rejected him, pointing out that the photo was inappropriate and suggesting he stop sending such images.”

“After that, I often received messages from him in the middle of the night. Sometimes invitations to eat, sometimes photos. Once, he sent a picture of his genitals and asked if I wanted to try. That time, I broke down and blocked him. But I was deeply afraid, not knowing how to deal with the situation, and began having nightmares.”

“But he didn’t let me go. He messaged me on the company communication software: ‘Flora, you are being very unprofessional. If there is work, I won’t be able to reach you. If it’s because of that photo, I’m sorry, I was drunk, and I’ll be more careful.’”

“Dony harassed me again and again, each time worse than the last. Until that day in Chengdu, when I went to the restroom, and he pulled me into an empty private room.”

“I didn’t want to stay in Chengdu. I was terrified. From Chengdu to Beijing, a flight distance of 1,520 kilometers, I trembled the entire way.”

“I also contacted women who had been harassed by Dony in the past, and their testimonies are included below. I sincerely request the company to initiate an investigation.”

From Chengdu to Beijing, a flight distance of 1,520 kilometers, I trembled the whole way.

That night, Luan Nian heard Luke playing downstairs. He closed his computer and thought to check it out, but then saw Shang Zhitao walk into his room, take off her clothes, and crawl into his arms. She kept shaking, as if startled by something.

He asked her what was wrong.

She said nothing.

Luan Nian closed Tracy’s laptop, returned to his office, and locked the door. His heart felt as if it were ablaze, the fire searing him with excruciating pain.

Outside was quiet. A little while later, Lumi heard Kitty say at her desk, “Didn’t negotiate, did you? …”

Just that one sentence, full of malice, with some colleagues nodding, “Dony has always been polite to me.”

Lumi glanced at Shang Zhitao, sitting there silently. The world’s malice swept over her like a gale. From the start, she knew people would say things like, “It’s impossible,” “It’s not like that,” “Why choose her?” “Conditions weren’t agreed upon?” Only a few would believe that the girl was bullied for no reason.

Lumi stood up, walked to the aisle, then turned to Kitty’s desk. Suddenly, she reached out and grabbed Kitty by the hair, pulling it back forcefully: “I’m going to kill you today! Don’t think no one knows about your dirty secrets! You think I won’t expose them all?!!”

Kitty struggled, but Lumi leaned back, her grip on Kitty’s hair unwavering.

Lumi beat Kitty fiercely, and no one intervened. Today, Lingmei was enveloped in a strange atmosphere. Shang Zhitao’s whistleblowing email shattered Lingmei’s surface prosperity, exposing its inner decay and rot.

Suddenly, a girl spoke up, “I’ve also received messages from Dony. I thought he liked me.” Her voice was small and timid, but she finally spoke.

Luan Nian heard the commotion outside but didn’t move. He was listening to the recordings in Shang Zhitao’s email.

When Shang Zhitao first started working, she spoke softly. If you looked at her, she would blush. She was soft-hearted, always helping others and interacting with people using her almost clumsy social skills. Such a girl was pulled into a dark private room, where someone said to her, “Do you think you’re qualified to enter the planning department?”

The sound of her body hitting the wall produced a noise in the recording—a noise that cut through Luan Nian’s chest.

Sharp pain.

He took off his headphones, not realizing his eyes were wet. Standing up, he left the office, walked into Dony’s office, and suddenly picked up a teacup from the desk, smashing it onto Dony’s head. Screams erupted outside, and Dony stood up to retaliate. But Luan Nian didn’t give him a chance. He grabbed Dony’s tie, wrapped it around his neck, and pulled it tightly, saying in his ear:

“You like bondage, huh?”

“You like suffocation, huh?”

“You like drugging, huh?”

“Huh?”

“Do you like it?”

Luan Nian didn’t plan to let go. He wanted to kill him. When he was younger, he loved guns and fighting, always wanting to kill disgusting people—but none of them were as repulsive as the man in front of him now.

Finally, two people rushed in and pulled Luan Nian away. Tracy stepped in front of him and said, “The police are here.”

He released the tie, leaving red marks on his palms, his eyes even redder, like a beast ready to commit murder and arson. He walked out of the office, seeing everyone looking at him. But he didn’t speak, only glanced at Shang Zhitao through the silent crowd.

His heart ached unbearably.

Really.

Such a good girl tormented by a maggot for so long, haunted by nightmares, yet forcing a smile every day. He pushed her against the wall, his hand gripping her throat—the voice recorder even picked up some static.

How scared she must have been. From Chengdu to Beijing, a flight distance of 1,520 kilometers, she trembled the entire way.

Luan Nian hated himself for being too slow and blamed Shang Zhitao for acting on her own.

Dony, clutching his neck, walked out of the office, glaring at Luan Nian: “You set me up?”

“I actually wanted to kill you.”

Luan Nian’s expression was terrifying. When he truly got angry, his murderous intent wasn’t obvious—it lingered thinly in his eyes, followed by a cold glance, not even bothering to look twice.

Tracy stood in the middle of the aisle, exchanged a glance with Luan Nian, then looked at everyone, genuinely and perhaps a little sadly: “In Lingmei China, the ratio of male to female employees is 45% to 55%. Female employees have been the rapid force driving domestic business growth. I never anticipated today’s events, especially Flora’s email, which caused me immense pain.” For the first time, tears fell in front of everyone: “As a woman, I feel deeply saddened by Flora’s experience. Truly.”

Shang Zhitao still sat there motionless. Lumi sat beside her, holding her cold hand.

Tracy wiped her tears and calmed herself: “Dony was hired by Lingmei headquarters, and the background check bypassed Lingmei China, a mistake in the group’s hiring process. Early this morning, we received a call from the police asking us to assist in investigating a case of a woman being raped, leading to what everyone just witnessed.”

“I also learned from the police that the cases Dony is suspected of aren’t limited to this one. Six women have jointly filed complaints. However, due to my limited knowledge, I can only speak to this extent.”

“As the HR director of Lingmei China, I will initiate an internal investigation into Dony today. I welcome female colleagues to talk to me. At the same time, I earnestly ask everyone to respect every woman who comes forward. You haven’t been in their shoes simply because you’ve been a bit luckier.”

“Thank you.”

Tracy bowed to everyone, walked up to Shang Zhitao, and patted her shoulder. What a good girl. When she interviewed her, she liked her from the first word she spoke.

“Flora, I listened to the recordings you provided. There’s something I believe I need to tell you personally. Dony said your qualifications for entering the planning department are insufficient—I disagree. In your more than two years at Lingmei, you’ve achieved two A+ performances, led the supplier management project and the marketing efficiency improvement project, with remarkable results and outstanding abilities, recognized by all. The planning department will soon open internal transfer positions, and you’re welcome to apply.”

Shang Zhitao nodded, but she felt exhausted. Though she hadn’t spoken or worked much that day, her energy was drained. She said to Tracy, “Can I take a leave today?”

“Yes.”

Shang Zhitao packed her things and headed downstairs. She didn’t want to stay in the company. As she passed by Luan Nian, she resisted the urge to throw herself into his arms and cry loudly—unprecedented feelings of grievance and vulnerability overwhelmed her. The gazes of the crowd stripped her bare. She knew she would face skepticism and had prepared for it, but when she heard the words “Didn’t negotiate, did you?” all her defenses crumbled.

Lumi escorted her downstairs, where Sun Yu and Sun Yuanzhu were waiting. Luan Nian stood by the window, watching Shang Zhitao approach them. Sun Yuanzhu took her backpack, patting her head. They left.

Luan Nian had asked Shang Zhitao countless times, “Has Dony ever harassed you?”

She said, “No.”

She had never intended to tell him about Dony. When she faced difficulties, she never thought he could help. She preferred to endure fear, worry, and terror through one dark night after another, never considering seeking his assistance.

Standing by the window, watching them leave, he suddenly understood that Shang Zhitao was never what he saw. She had never truly relied on him. She was clear-headed and independent, always keeping him at a distance beyond her trust. Just as he had told her at the beginning:

“We’re just bed partners. We don’t need to be responsible for each other.”

“If either of us encounters new feelings, we can terminate this at any time.”

“Let’s part ways amicably.”

Shang Zhitao had done all of that.

Luan Nian sat back at his desk, suddenly finding everything meaningless. He opened his computer and wrote a resignation letter:

“I refuse to take responsibility for the company’s flawed hiring strategy. Dony’s appointment bypassed me, and even the background check materials were problematic.”

“I don’t know whose interests Dony represents, but this hiring mishap fully demonstrates the company’s lack of trust in me.”

“Today, I resign from all my positions at Lingmei.”

“That’s it.”

Luan Nian closed his computer and walked out of the office building.