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Shang Zhitao placed her drink on another table by the window. The moonlight was bright, and the heart in her glass shimmered. Luke, having had his fill of meat, came out and sat beside her, joining her in moon-gazing.
Her cocktail was different from others. A girl at a neighboring table glanced at it several times and said to her companion, “I want to try that cocktail too. I’ve never seen it before; it looks delicious.”
She asked Shang Zhitao, “What’s the name of this drink?”
“It’s called ‘The Brave Heart.’” Shang Zhitao didn’t know much about cocktails, assuming it was a common sweet and tangy drink for girls with a bit of a kick. Luan Nian had crafted a drink that mirrored Shang Zhitao’s personality.
“Is this a special creation by the boss?” the girl asked again.
“Huh?” Shang Zhitao clearly didn’t understand what “special creation by the boss” meant.
The girl raised her hand and called out to Luan Nian, “I’d like one of those drinks too.”
“Sorry, we’re out,” Luan Nian replied, sitting down next to Shang Zhitao with a glass of water and smiling at the girl.
“Is that drink a special creation by the boss?”
Luan Nian glanced at the delicate, translucent heart in the glass and nodded. “Yes.”
“I knew it.” The girl turned to her companion and said, “I’ve never seen it at other bars.”
“What is a ‘special creation by the boss’?” Shang Zhitao whispered to Luan Nian.
“It just means the boss randomly mixed something up.” Luan Nian leaned back on the sofa, gazing at the moon. The entire bar was now illuminated only by the small square candle at the neighboring table. The manager played a soft song, and everything became quiet. Everyone relaxed on their sofas, admiring the moon.
In the darkness, Shang Zhitao reached for Luan Nian’s hand and rested her head on his shoulder. Luan Nian draped his arm across the sofa to make her more comfortable.
Luke imitated Shang Zhitao, jumping onto the sofa next to Luan Nian and pawing at his arm: “Me too!”
“No,” Luan Nian softly scolded him.
Luke, undeterred, continued pawing at him. Luan Nian grunted, moving his arm away. Luke lay down on the sofa, resting his head on Luan Nian’s lap.
Shang Zhitao felt she never asked for much. Occasionally, she would have a night like this, and all her pain would heal. She didn’t think she had experienced any profound suffering—she was just an ordinary girl who had grown up healthy.
She gently kissed the back of Luan Nian’s hand repeatedly. The words “I love you” hovered on her lips but never came out.
By the time they descended the mountain, it was already dawn. Shang Zhitao took out her phone and saw the comforting messages from her colleagues, replying to each one. One message was from Lumi, who said, “The more I think about it, the angrier I get. Some people don’t deserve your protection. You should have included the footage of her sneaking into his room at night when presenting evidence!”
Shang Zhitao quickly replied, “No, it’s fine. Let her off.”
“It’s too late. I’ve already sent an anonymous email.” Lumi responded. After nearly a whole night of contemplation, she realized that Kitty was vengeful. If she didn’t take her down today, Kitty would surely resurface tomorrow. Over the years, hadn’t there been enough underhanded tricks? Including that disgusting comment earlier—it wasn’t something a person should say.
“…Your hands are fast.”
“Hahahaha, I’m in such a good mood. Are you okay? I called Sun Yu, and she said you went out with friends.”
Shang Zhitao glanced at Luan Nian, who was checking his phone, and replied, “I’m great.”
“My stubborn donkey was so satisfying today. Wasn’t he incredibly sexy? After you left, he also left, and the stock price plummeted.”
“Huh? Because of the scandal?”
“The scandal is nothing. It’s because the captain said he’s stepping down, abandoning ship, leaving everything behind. Luke played this game beautifully.”
“What do you mean?”
“It means Luke resigned.”
Luan Nian resigned? But he hadn’t mentioned a word about it tonight. Shang Zhitao stole a glance at him; he frowned as if unhappy.
Shang Zhitao signaled to Luke, extending a finger toward Luan Nian and giving a slight nod: “Go!”
Luke moved swiftly, dashing to Luan Nian’s side, rubbing his head against Luan Nian’s chest. Luan Nian put down his phone and pinched Luke’s face: “Get lost!”
No!
A playful fight ensued between man and dog, while Shang Zhitao giggled on the side. Luan Nian jumped off the bed, picked her up, and tossed her onto the bed, forcing her to join the chaos. They played for a long time until they were exhausted. Luke lay on the floor while the two of them lay on the bed, catching their breath.
Shang Zhitao turned on her side to look at Luan Nian, unable to suppress a smile.
She wasn’t someone burdened by worries. The overwhelming sadness and vulnerability from earlier that day had completely vanished. She even started to console herself: How lucky am I? I have such a gentle bed partner, such great colleagues like Lumi, and such wonderful friends like Sun Yuanzhu and Sun Yu.
When asked how she obtained information about Dony’s past scandals, Shang Zhitao kept mum. Thanks to Sun Yuanzhu, who used hacking techniques to dig up everything about Dony, Shang Zhitao knew not everyone was as fortunate as she was, and she was deeply grateful.
The people at Lingmei only knew that Dony broke the law, unaware why six women suddenly filed a joint report or how Dony’s life in China was uncovered. Only Luan Nian and Tracy knew that Luan Nian spent a hefty sum convincing the one girl with solid evidence, who initially refused to speak up, to come forward.
Luan Nian made it all seem effortless, walking away without leaving a trace.
His palm covered Shang Zhitao’s face, pushing her back onto the bed: “Be serious.”
“Oh.” Shang Zhitao kissed his palm, and Luan Nian withdrew his hand, examining her in the bright moonlight. His fingertips touched her neck—the neck that had been gripped by Dony’s filthy hands.
Luan Nian’s lips landed gently on her neck, kissing softly, slowly dissolving Shang Zhitao’s 1,520 kilometers of fear.
Shang Zhitao cherished his rare tenderness. She wouldn’t spoil the moment by asking why he resigned. She felt no need to ask; this time, she was certain that Luan Nian’s fight and resignation weren’t due to high-level disputes but purely because he felt heartbroken for her.
The realization that Luan Nian felt heartbroken for her moved her immensely.
It was only afterward that Shang Zhitao said, “How will I go to work tomorrow morning?”
Luan Nian glanced at the time—it was already 3 a.m.: “Take a leave.”
“No.” Shang Zhitao’s eyes struggled to stay open. “I can’t take a leave. Tracy wants to meet with me.”
“Sleep. I’ll take you.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Shang Zhitao fell asleep, and Luan Nian picked up his phone to continue replying to Tracy’s messages: “When I say I’m resigning, I mean it. The stock price’s rise or fall has nothing to do with me. I’ve already cashed out early. Those remaining shares, I consider them thrown away.”
“I know you’re not short on money.” Surprisingly, Tracy was still awake. The day’s events had left her utterly stressed, causing her usual sleep routine to be disrupted entirely: “I am short. Did you know I just got divorced? I need to buy a new house. With the stock crashing like this, what am I supposed to use to buy it?”
“I’ll lend you.”
“You can lend to me, but can you lend to everyone?”
“Then everyone should fend for themselves!”
“…Headquarters people are already on the plane. They want to meet you the day after tomorrow.”
“No.”
“Fine. Will you come to the company tomorrow to talk?”
“No.”
Luan Nian turned off his phone and went to sleep.
In the morning, hearing movement beside him, he opened his eyes to see Shang Zhitao tiptoeing around, getting dressed: “Being sneaky?”
“You’re awake? I need to go to work.”
“Aren’t I taking you?” Luan Nian got up to get dressed, while Shang Zhitao said from the side, “No need. I’ll take a taxi. Leave Luke here.”
“Are you crazy? At this hour, where will you find a taxi?”
“Oh.”
Luan Nian quickly showered, got dressed, and made breakfast downstairs. Shang Zhitao liked toast and milk, so Luan Nian fried two eggs and sprinkled osmanthus flowers in her milk: “Come eat before you go.”
Shang Zhitao was accustomed to Luan Nian’s breakfasts. She thanked him and took a sip of milk, stealing a glance at Luan Nian.
“If you have something to say, just say it.”
“Did you resign?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I have money, and I can quit whenever I want.” Seeing Shang Zhitao gulp down her milk, Luan Nian poured her another glass. After she drank, she said, “Having money is impressive, unlike me—I don’t have the guts to quit.”
“If you don’t want to work anymore, you can resign and work as a bartender at my bar.” Luan Nian teased her.
Shang Zhitao seriously considered this possibility and asked Luan Nian, “If all future bars hire such handsome managers and waiters, earning less isn’t bad either.” She was smitten.
Luan Nian snorted; feeding her breakfast was like feeding a dog. He drove Shang Zhitao and Luke to work, parking near the company. Casually, he told Shang Zhitao, “I’ll pick you up tonight.”
“Alright.” Shang Zhitao hopped out of the car and ran toward the company.
At the company entrance, she paused, unprepared to face her colleagues’ sympathetic gazes. A colleague passed by and kindly called out, “Flora, good morning. Aren’t you coming in?”
“Coming.” Shang Zhitao followed them into the elevator, walked to her workstation, and was surprised to see Lumi already there.
“Why are you here so early?” Shang Zhitao asked her.
“I’m here to deal with those loose tongues.” Lumi lounged on the desk, looking like a big sister, as if ready to fight again for Shang Zhitao today.
Shang Zhitao’s eyes reddened, and she told Lumi, “You know I love you, right?”
Lumi whistled: “Promise yourself to me~”
They chatted for a while, and Shang Zhitao opened her computer and email, receiving countless messages of comfort from colleagues. They replied to her email:
“Flora, keep it up.”
“Flora, I’m on the fourth floor. Tomorrow, you’ll see someone wearing a girl-power baseball shirt—that’s me.”
“Flora, thank you. I’ve faced similar situations but always swallowed my anger. Thank you for showing me that girls can be this brave.”
There were so many emails, and Shang Zhitao read each one, suddenly feeling understood. At the time, she simply felt she should step forward, never considering how it might affect others. Until that moment, she finally felt it was all worth it.
When she encountered her colleagues’ gazes again, she no longer felt out of place but saw friendliness instead. In the workplace, only a small group of people are truly bad; most are just ordinary, kind individuals like her.
Including Tracy.
Managing HR for such a large company, yet she was just an ordinary person who felt pained by Shang Zhitao’s experience. She had a coffee machine in her office and personally made Shang Zhitao a mocha, saying, “Drink something sweet today to defeat unhappiness.”
“Thank you.”
“Did you sleep well last night?” Tracy asked.
Shang Zhitao recalled Luan Nian’s gentle kisses and warm embrace and nodded: “Very well.”
“I’m glad you didn’t have nightmares.” Tracy patted her hand and then said, “Our conversation now isn’t on a company level since the matter has been handed over to the judicial authorities. The police hope you’ll participate in providing evidence. Do you agree?”
“I agree.”
“Dony has some background. We don’t know how far this case will be investigated. But I want to state my position: both me and Luke are determined to put him behind bars.” Tracy informed Shang Zhitao of the reality, preparing her in case of future retaliation.
Shang Zhitao nodded: “I know. I’m not afraid, and I’ll cooperate with the investigation.” Shang Zhitao thought, having come this far, she shouldn’t forget her original intention—to punish the wrongdoer. She couldn’t give up now.
Tracy smiled at her: “Flora, when I first met you, I thought you might be an extraordinary girl. No real basis, just intuition.”
“Thank you. Thank you for favoring me so much.” Shang Zhitao wasn’t truly naïve. As her work progressed, she saw the stringent hiring standards at Lingmei and how, initially, Luan Nian always asked her about her relationship with Tracy. Gradually, she realized she had encountered a good person, someone willing to give her opportunities—a stroke of fate’s favor.
Not everyone gets such chances.
“So, my decision to hire you despite opposition was quite excellent.” Opposition? There was only Luan Nian’s dissent: “The new head of the marketing department will soon start. As for planning, if the board can handle Luke…” Tracy gave a bitter smile: “You know Luke resigned, right?”
“Yes, I know.”
“If the board can manage him, he’ll oversee the planning department. Thirty percent of internal competitive positions will open up; you can give it a try.”
“Can I?”
“I think so. But the final hiring decision rests with the planning department.”
“Thank you.”
“Good luck.”
After leaving Tracy’s office, Shang Zhitao pondered the idea of Luke overseeing the planning department. She actually enjoyed working with Luan Nian. He was strict, but working with him truly taught her a lot.
She thought for a moment and sent a message to Luan Nian: “I want to apply for a position in the planning department through the competition.”
Luan Nian was sunbathing with Luke in the suburban park when he saw the message and replied: “Good luck.”
“Will you let me pass?”
“First, I’ve already resigned; second, there will be a three-person review panel. One person can’t decide.” Luan Nian’s implication was clear: no green light, work hard on your own. If you’re capable, go for it; if not, stay in the marketing department.
Shang Zhitao understood his meaning.
She didn’t expect him to help her; she just wanted to work with him.
“Will you come back to be my boss?”
“?”
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