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Gong Yue and the others were holding a book club meeting in the bar, and Shang Zhitao sat to one side, listening attentively. However, her mind kept drifting back to what Luan Nian had said earlier—”adventure.”
Luan Nian sat beside her and asked, “Is it fun?”
“What?”
“The book club.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty fun.” Shang Zhitao enjoyed this kind of atmosphere where everyone shared their thoughts on a book and its insights, making people feel less like isolated islands.
“Have you attended one before?” Luan Nian asked.
“Yes, with…” Shang Zhitao was about to say Sun Yuanzhu but remembered how Luan Nian had rejected her over the phone last year, saying, “You’re living with that ambiguously close male roommate of yours.” Not wanting Sun Yuanzhu to be dragged into such gossip—even though he wasn’t around now—she changed her answer: “With a group of friends.”
She felt a tinge of fear. Wan Jun had asked her to give up Luke before committing to a relationship, and Xin Zhaozhou had wanted her to move to Shenzhen with him. In her mind, love seemed to always involve some form of trade-off, requiring sacrifices.
Seeing her hedge, Luan Nian asked, “Do you want to move in with me?”
“What?”
Once again, Luan Nian startled her. If he had asked her this during the first or second year, she would have happily agreed. But now, her response was simply, “What?”
The word “what” represented refusal.
Luan Nian fell silent. After a while, he stood up and said, “Let’s go. It’s getting late.”
“Okay.”
The two went to eat fish as usual. When the owner saw Shang Zhitao, he smiled and said, “It’s been a while since you’ve come.”
“Yeah, I’ve been busy.”
No sooner had she spoken than she remembered how Luke had jumped into the pond last time and quickly turned around to check. Too late—Luke was already in the water again.
This time, Shang Zhitao remained calmer and called out from the shore, “Get out here right now, and I won’t hit you.”
Luke paid no attention to her and was instead delighted. Today I must be behaving well if they brought me here to swim! With renewed enthusiasm, he swam even harder.
There were more people at the fish farm today, and everyone gathered by the pond to watch the handsome Samoyed catch fish. The Samoyed was truly impressive—it caught four big fish in no time. Unable to get Luke out of the water, Shang Zhitao stomped her feet in frustration: “Just you wait!” She glared at Luan Nian: “Do something!”
After enjoying the spectacle, Luan Nian finally put his fingers to his lips and whistled sharply. Hearing the whistle, Luke swam back, jumped onto the shore, shook off the water, and sat down, looking at Luan Nian. Shang Zhitao suddenly felt a bit embarrassed—her dog, whom she’d raised for years, listened to Luan Nian instead of her.
“See? Dogs need training too. You only feed him without teaching him anything. What can he learn from you?” Luan Nian’s words were deliberately provocative, angering Shang Zhitao enough to glare at him multiple times, but he acted as if he didn’t notice.
Shang Zhitao borrowed a large towel from the shop owner to dry Luke’s fur, scolding him softly as she did so: “So you think money talks, huh? Whoever gives you meat is your master, is that it? And here I am, walking you and taking care of you every day! How ungrateful can you be?”
Luke, feeling wronged, naturally retorted. His rebuttal made Shang Zhitao even angrier, and soon the person and the dog were arguing fiercely.
Standing aside, Luan Nian watched her scold the dog and thought that Shang Zhitao’s brain might forever remain this way. Arguing so passionately with a dog—it wasn’t nearly as effective as using two pieces of meat to train him once.
Their recently repaired relationship still felt fragile. They were both afraid of pushing too hard, fearing that one wrong move might send them back to square one. After dropping Shang Zhitao off at home, Luan Nian asked as she got out of the car, “Is anyone home?”
“No.”
“Do you mind if I come up for a bit?” Luan Nian’s suggestion surprised Shang Zhitao, and she instinctively asked, “Why?”
“? “
“I have an agreement with my roommates—we don’t bring strangers home.”
“If I remember correctly, we were quite intimate last night.”
Shang Zhitao’s face flushed slightly. She got out of the car and pulled Luke along, then said to Luan Nian, “It’s late. Goodnight.”
The days passed uneventfully. During this time, Shang Zhitao went to the northwest twice and rented a house in the small county. Lumi’s mind was consumed with thoughts of sleeping with Will, but Will never gave her another chance. He continued to dislike her and reprimand her whenever possible. By summer, Shang Zhitao’s assignment was finally about to take effect, and she was thrilled. She sent Sun Yuanzhu an address and asked, “How far is this from you?”
Sun Yuanzhu replied at noon: “Sorry, I was running tests. It’s less than 30 kilometers away. Why?”
Shang Zhitao was ecstatic and immediately called him. As soon as the call connected, her cheerful voice came through: “Sun Yuanzhu, I’ve applied for an S+ project assignment, and the address I just sent you is where I’ll be renting a place!”
“Really?” Sun Yuanzhu sounded equally happy. “How long will you be stationed? When are you arriving?”
“In half a month!”
“Then I’ll take leave and be your tour guide for two days. I’ll show you around, okay?”
“Okay.”
After hanging up, Lumi sidled over and teased her: “So happy to see Brother Yuanzhu, huh?”
“He’s a good friend.”
“Not considering promoting your good friend to boyfriend status?”
Shang Zhitao shook her head quickly: “Don’t be silly.”
Lumi chuckled and then said, “Did you know? I heard there’s a new girl in your planning department. She’s 22, graduated from Columbia, and won awards during her studies. Plus, she joined with resources, and the company hired her at a high salary.”
“Wow, 22 years old. That means her position level is quite high, right?”
“The same as yours.” Lumi patted her shoulder: “Sister, the environment in the planning department is brutal, the competition fierce. Why don’t you return to the marketing department?”
“Your Will dislikes me for some reason too. I’m not going back to marketing.” The two laughed it off.
The next day after Lumi gossiped with Shang Zhitao, the girl arrived. At 22, she wore a custom-made dress, exuding a sharp yet minimalist charm. Her beauty made her presence naturally striking, like a painting. Tracy led her into Luan Nian’s office, and Shang Zhitao saw Luan Nian stand up to greet her. Their hands clasped, and the girl blushed slightly.
Lumi messaged Shang Zhitao: “Flora, do you know what smell I just detected?”
“What smell?”
“A perfect match—a talented man and a beautiful woman destined for each other. The smell of scandal.”
“Don’t talk nonsense. There’s a huge age gap!”
“Are you sure? Do you think a young girl like her would嫌弃 a man like Luke for being too old? Girls like her would jump at the chance and brag about it to everyone around them. A man’s charm has little to do with age. Age affects duration, hardness, and stamina, but those things can be compensated for with skill and vanity. You’re too naive.” Lumi started spouting nonsense again.
“Are you sure age affects duration and hardness?” Shang Zhitao asked her.
Lumi sent a thinking emoji: “I haven’t slept with anyone too old. For someone like Will, who’s in his thirties, I’ll let you know after I try.”
Shang Zhitao couldn’t help but laugh at her desk, thinking to herself, I can tell you—it doesn’t seem to affect those things. Or maybe men in their twenties are just bolder, and she hasn’t experienced it yet.
Lumi was obsessed now, spending every day thinking about how to sleep with Will. Every morning, the first thing the two of them said to each other was:
“Will Lumi sleep with Will today?”
And every night before bed, the last thing they said was always:
“Lumi didn’t sleep with Will today. She’ll have to work harder tomorrow!”
Shang Zhitao didn’t reply but glanced at Luan Nian’s office while fetching water. She didn’t know what they were talking about, but all three people in the office were laughing.
The girl’s name was Song Ying, with the English name Yilia, which suited her well. Luan Nian personally introduced her to the colleagues in the planning department. Shang Zhitao heard him say, “This is Yilia, a young prodigy who’s here to help us tackle some challenging projects.”
Luan Nian had never said, “Let’s bring someone in to help us tackle a difficult project.” In his eyes, there were no difficult projects—only incompetent people. Nor had anyone ever received the treatment of being personally introduced by Luan Nian upon entering the company. So when everyone looked at Yilia, their friendliness was tinged with insincerity—a forced camaraderie born of authority. When it came to Shang Zhitao, it was the same few words.
“Yilia, sit next to Flora. Flora will be stationed in the northwest soon. Before she leaves, get to know her work better. She knows the company processes inside out.”
“Hello, Flora,” Song Ying extended her hand toward Shang Zhitao. “Please take care of me.”
Shang Zhitao had never shaken such a soft hand before. The owner of such hands must have been favored by fate, spared from hardship.
“Yilia, I need to learn a lot from you.”
“Teaching and learning go hand in hand,” Yilia replied, neither humble nor arrogant.
Shang Zhitao suddenly remembered her first day at the company, feeling like a frightened bird, terrified of making mistakes that would cost her the job, her heart filled with anxiety. She didn’t possess Yilia’s confident demeanor.
Five years had passed just like that.
She thought about it as she sat down.
Yilia wasn’t like Kitty. Her resume was more impressive than Kitty’s, but her personality was exceptionally good. By the end of the day, she had already bonded with her colleagues, except for Shang Zhitao, who remained buried in project materials. As Shang Zhitao accompanied Grace to pump breast milk, Grace remarked, “Yilia is like a little sun. Luke must be pleased that Yilia is under his mentorship.”
“Talent truly is a wonderful thing,” Shang Zhitao praised sincerely. But at the time, she only said it without fully understanding what real talent looked like. It wasn’t until the day before her departure, in the conference room, when Yilia presented a design draft for a client—all hand-drawn, exquisitely beautiful.
“I gathered a lot of information, but I’m not sure if my interpretation is correct. Based on the client’s tone, I hope their print ads will follow this style.” She picked up a stack of drawings from the floor and showed them to everyone: “The story I want to tell is about a flower grower who lives at the edge of the sky. Her flowers bloom only once every ten years, and during those ten years, she must stay there, waiting for the flowers to bloom. This reflects the craftsmanship spirit that the flower client wants to convey.”
“After the flowers bloom, hundreds seek them, and the flower grower looks upon the men and women of the world, gifting ten exquisite flowers to them, symbolizing flowers given to those with destiny.”
“...”
Yilia spoke earnestly, and Shang Zhitao found her truly dazzling. In her hands were her own sketches, blending mythology, flowers, humanity, and love. Her presentation was coherent and logical, each sentence aligning perfectly with the client’s needs and tone. She was a true storyteller.
Such a young girl, yet so radiant.
Shang Zhitao noticed Luan Nian smile.
He rarely smiled during meetings, but today he did. His gaze toward Yilia gleamed with admiration.
Everyone praised Yilia, agreeing that this girl was truly remarkable. Grace looked at Shang Zhitao and said, “Thankfully, she won’t compete with you for the expert position next year. The company requires at least five years of service, otherwise it’d be hard to say who between you two might win.”
“She’s incredible.”
A kind of brilliance Shang Zhitao could never possess. Some people are born with such abilities, while others, no matter how hard they try later in life, remain far behind.
After the meeting, Shang Zhitao saw Yilia approach Luan Nian and ask seriously, “Luke, how should I adjust this version of the concept? I’d like your opinion.”
Luan Nian took her drawings and examined them, then said, “I have no objections. Leave it to the client and the market team to verify.”
“Thank you for guiding me the other day—it really opened my mind,” Yilia thanked him sincerely.
Teaching and learning, giving and receiving—the cycle of time seemed to have returned to its starting point. Only this time, the person was different. She was beautiful, intelligent, talented, calm, and humble, radiating brilliance. She was exactly the kind of subordinate and student Luan Nian admired.
That evening, as Shang Zhitao packed her things, she saw Yilia and another colleague still in Luan Nian’s office, deep in conversation. Luan Nian genuinely enjoyed working, Shang Zhitao knew. He loved working with smart people—it made him happy.
Finally, he had found joy in his work.
Shang Zhitao was happy for him too.
On the subway, she received his call: “Why didn’t you wait for me?”
“I went home to pack.”
“Did you change your mind about our agreement?”
They had originally planned that after work today, Luan Nian would help Shang Zhitao pack, and tomorrow he would send her to the airport.
“I saw you were still working, and it was already late.”
“Just tell me straight—what’s wrong?” Luan Nian was slightly angry. He didn’t understand why Shang Zhitao had suddenly changed her mind. When he was angry, his tone naturally turned harsh.
“It’s too late. I need to go home and pack.”
“Why are you in such a rush? Your flight isn’t until the afternoon.”
“I changed it to an early morning flight.”
“Why?”
“I want to leave sooner.”
“What for? Is there someone you’re eager to see?” Luan Nian hung up. He disliked Shang Zhitao’s inexplicable mood swings and her attitude of not saying a proper goodbye before leaving.
Shang Zhitao’s eyes reddened on the subway, but she sniffed and lowered her head to text him: “I finalized the delivery of some household appliances. They called me today to coordinate the delivery time, moving it up to tomorrow afternoon.”
Despite her anger, she still wanted to explain herself to Luan Nian.
Luan Nian saw her message after arriving home and immediately drove out again. With no traffic at night, he reached her neighborhood in twenty minutes and asked, “Are you done packing?”
“Yes.”
“Come down.”
“Okay.”
Shang Zhitao went downstairs and saw Luan Nian leaning against the car, smoking. She took the cigarette from him, extinguished it, and threw it into the trash bin. Seeing his gloomy expression, she stood in front of him, her arms around his waist, hugging him.
It was an act of appeasement, a display of vulnerability.
Seeing that Luan Nian didn’t move, she pulled his hand to wrap around her waist, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed his jawline—unable to reach his lips. Finally, Luan Nian smiled: “Little shorty.”
“I’m 171.5 centimeters!” Shang Zhitao protested indignantly over the 0.5 centimeters.
“You’re 172 if we round up.” Luan Nian ruffled her hair, opened the back door of the car, and took out a backpack that had already been unpackaged: “Change your bag.”
“…Oh. Why did you unbox it?”
“So it doesn’t collect dust in your house?” Luan Nian adjusted the straps for her as he casually asked, “Shang Zhitao, did you sell all the bags I gave you?”
Shang Zhitao quickly waved her hands: “No!”
Luan Nian glanced at her: “Go upstairs, Miss Shang. Wishing you a smooth journey to the northwest.”
“I wish you happiness in work and life.”
“You’d better wish me less anger!”
Shang Zhitao didn’t know how others felt before departing. In the end, she still took her luggage to Luan Nian’s house. On the way, she asked him, “Will you come visit me?”
“You chose to go to the northwest yourself.” Luan Nian’s meaning was clear: Why didn’t you think about leaving me when you made your choice?
“Then I’ll come see you when I return.”
“I may not be here.”
Shang Zhitao finally understood—Luan Nian was still sulking. That was just the kind of person he was: petty, vindictive, and slow to forgive when angry.
That night, as Shang Zhitao lay beneath him, her legs wrapped around his waist, her body seeking his, he evaded her, pinning her hands to her sides: “Why are you in such a hurry, Flora?”
Shang Zhitao, unable to move her hands and growing increasingly frustrated, felt an emptiness within her. Suddenly, she became angry at Luan Nian’s arrogant demeanor.
After a moment of silence, she said to him: “Please let me go.”
“I don’t want to continue.”
Neither of them could articulate what exactly was bothering them. Shang Zhitao resented his special treatment of Yilia, while Luan Nian was upset about her eagerness to leave for the northwest. Both considered their feelings too petty and laughable to bring up.
Neither spoke. Luan Nian went to the bathroom, and when he came out, Shang Zhitao had already moved to the guest room.
They lay in their respective beds, stewing in anger. By the middle of the night, Shang Zhitao hugged Luan Nian from behind, slipping her hand under his T-shirt. Sun Yu often scolded her, saying, “You’re so weak, Shang Zhitao. Can’t you hold back sometimes? Why do you always have to be the one to give in after every argument? Why does it always have to be you apologizing?”
Shang Zhitao would respond to Sun Yu: “It’s not like that. I don’t think I’m giving in. I’m just trying to communicate with him properly.”
“Is he communicating properly with you?”
“He’s much better now.”
Shang Zhitao thought that some things shouldn’t be compared horizontally. She couldn’t compare Luan Nian to other men—men who treated their girlfriends like treasures, never uttering a harsh word. If she did, Luan Nian would seem completely unbearable. Instead, she compared him vertically—comparing the current him to the past him. Hadn’t he improved a lot?
Her hand slipped under his T-shirt, her fingertips brushing against his tense body. Luan Nian turned around, and her hair fell onto his face, tickling him and sending a tingling sensation through his body. That tingling sensation traveled down from his neck, igniting a fire that left him no choice but to sit up. He pushed her hair back behind her head, gripping her waist firmly and pulling her closer.
This position wasn’t one they used often. Shang Zhitao couldn’t handle it and slapped his back with her hands, but Luan Nian found it exhilarating. His grip on her waist tightened even more until Shang Zhitao let out a hoarse cry, causing him to flip her over abruptly and pin her beneath him.
Every thrust was ruthlessly intense, as if he intended to exhaust all his strength in this one night.
As they reached the end, Luan Nian cupped her face in his hand and said to her, “Come back to me if you miss me.”
“Or I’ll come see you.”
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