Chapter 19

Shang Zhitao decided to learn how to drive, and once the thought took hold, she immediately resolved to do it. Using the money Old Shang had given her, she enrolled in a driving school, with Sun Yuanzhu accompanying her.

Sun Yuanzhu was truly a good boy—clean-cut, gentle, and with a gaze that was both focused and friendly. Under his gaze, Shang Zhitao felt she could expand into a cloud.

"I can accompany you to your driving lessons on weekends. I don’t have much to do anyway," Sun Yuanzhu offered, somewhat concerned for Shang Zhitao.

"You could hang out with your classmates, those lovely friends of yours."

"It won’t interfere. We usually meet in the afternoons."

"Oh, okay." Shang Zhitao felt a bit grateful to Sun Yuanzhu. He was always helping her, yet he seemed completely unaware of it.

"Driving instructors tend to speak harshly. When you go, buy the instructor a bottle of water or bring a pack of cigarettes. Don’t take it to heart if he says something unpleasant," Sun Yuanzhu advised her. When he was learning to drive, his instructor had said plenty of harsh things. It seemed all driving instructors came from the same training program, with identical scolding phrases: "When I was learning, there was a girl who cried after being yelled at by the instructor."

"That sounds terrifying..."

Shang Zhitao treated Sun Yuanzhu to a bowl of soybean paste soup near his alma mater. Looking at the diverse crowd around them, she suddenly remembered her desire to improve her English and asked Sun Yuanzhu, "Does your school have an English corner?"

"Why do you ask?"

Shang Zhitao shared her self-improvement plan with him, feeling no shame in it. Sun Yuanzhu didn’t laugh at her; instead, he found her earnest and diligent attitude quite endearing.

"How about I introduce you to a foreign teacher? Don’t go to a language institution—they’re expensive. This foreign teacher charges 30 yuan for forty minutes, and you pay per session. You can chat with him and ask all sorts of questions. A few of my classmates who took the TOEFL were tutored by him." Sun Yuanzhu pointed Shang Zhitao toward a cost-effective and efficient path. She nodded eagerly, which made Sun Yuanzhu laugh. "I hope your improvement plan succeeds."

"It will."

The foreign teacher Sun Yuanzhu introduced lived in the student dormitory of his alma mater. He was an American exchange student, tall and sturdy with typical American features, yet he spoke fluent Beijing dialect. He had given himself a Chinese name: Long Zhentian. Shang Zhitao pondered it for a while—Long Zhentian, hmm, a good name. Foreign students often gave themselves very down-to-earth Chinese names. Sometimes, when you suggested they change it, they’d say, "Isn’t this one good enough?"

Long Zhentian asked Shang Zhitao, "What level do you want to reach?"

"I want to be able to understand fully English meetings without any barriers."

"Well, you’ve got quite a journey ahead of you."

"I’ll rely on your guidance."

Long Zhentian’s Beijing dialect rubbed off on Shang Zhitao, and she found herself speaking it too. The three of them burst into laughter. Long Zhentian enjoyed making friends, and Shang Zhitao was so likable that he suggested they go to a bar near the school that evening.

The area around their school was filled with Koreans, and the bar was bustling with people speaking English, Korean, a bit of French, and mostly Chinese—all sorts of folks. It was Shang Zhitao’s first time in a bar, and she found everything novel, looking left and right. As she glanced to the right, her eyes met a pair of cool, detached ones.

The world truly is small.

Isn't that Luke? He was sitting with a few friends, three men and two women. The men were truly outstanding, and the women were stunningly beautiful. Shang Zhitao thought of his girlfriend in Guangzhou, then glanced at the women in front of her, offering him a flattering smile.

Luan Nian withdrew his gaze and continued talking to Tan Mian: "We're leaving on Christmas, right?"

"Yes. Doesn't your company have Christmas holidays?"

"Of course. Where are we going this year?"

"How about Hokkaido for hot springs? We've been too tired lately, so let's pick somewhere not too far. We won't go to the U.S. to visit family, since we'll be back for New Year's anyway. What do you think?"

"Fine."

"Can we join you?" the girl beside them asked.

"We travel every year and never bring girls," Tan Mian apologized with a smile. It wasn't that they never brought girls—they did, Zang Yao. Luan Nian stood up: "I'm going to the restroom."

The bar's restroom was dimly lit. As Shang Zhitao stepped out, she stumbled and nearly fell to the ground, only to be caught by a hand gripping her arm and lifting her up. She hurriedly thanked him: "Thank you, thank you." Looking up, she saw Luan Nian.

"Come here."

Luan Nian tossed out these words and turned to leave. Shang Zhitao followed him, the two of them walking one after the other out of the bar.

The surroundings were noisy. Luan Nian, with a cold expression, asked her: "Have you finished the report?"

Shang Zhitao had been assigned homework on Friday—Alex asked her to write a joint project execution report for the planning and marketing departments, to be sent out by Sunday. Shang Zhitao was almost done, with only the conclusion left. She could finish it tomorrow morning without any issues.

"Just the conclusion left."

"You haven't finished it, yet you're hanging out at a bar?"

"...I..."

"Did you even do your research before coming to a bar?"

"What?"

Luan Nian was truly infuriated by her. What kind of place was a bar for someone as thoughtless as her to wander into? With two men? One of them a foreigner? Not even bringing her own water? Had she already started drifting with the tide after just a few days in Beijing?

But this had nothing to do with him. He only cared about his report: "Send the report to me before midnight tonight."

"Didn't you say tomorrow?"

"If I say tomorrow, you wait until tomorrow? You don't give me time to revise it?"

"I'll go back and finish it right away."

Isn't it just because I caught you in the act? Giving me a hard time again. Shang Zhitao thought indignantly. She wasn't a scheming person, and she thought she had hidden her thoughts deeply, but Luan Nian saw right through her: "Are you cursing me in your mind?"

"No, no." Shang Zhitao shook her head repeatedly, looking even more guilty.

"There can't be a single typo in the report."

"Okay, okay." Shang Zhitao's eyes sparkled as she looked at Luan Nian in the summer evening breeze, unconsciously uttering a foolish remark: "Luke, don't worry, I won't say anything. I'll definitely keep your secret for you."

"What secret?" Hearing this, Luan Nian put his hands in his pockets, leaning against the bar's outer wall, looking at her with ease.

"Your... girlfriends..." She deliberately added the plural "s," glancing at Luan Nian guiltily. She felt strange herself—it was him who was promiscuous, not her, so why was she feeling guilty? Probably because catching her boss's little secret made her uneasy.

Luan Nian suddenly smiled, the corner of his mouth twitching: "Fine, keep my secret for me. I don't have any other hobbies, just a fondness for beauty. If others find out, I'll find an excuse to fire you."

"Don't worry!" Shang Zhitao hurriedly raised her fingers to swear: "I guarantee with my character, I absolutely won't tell anyone." Her posture was very sincere.

Idiot. Luan Nian cursed her in his heart, then turned and walked into the bar.

"Took so long?"

"Line." Luan Nian casually made up an excuse.

"Buddy, I just went, there wasn't a single person in the restroom." Tan Mian exposed him.

He didn't explain, just sat there drinking and listening to music. Occasionally glancing at Shang Zhitao, she was fine, sitting there chatting and laughing with others, with no intention of leaving.

Shang Zhitao was talking with Long Zhentian when she sensed someone glaring at her, again and again, really annoying. She had no choice but to pull Sun Yuanzhu along, bid farewell to Long Zhentian, and leave the bar.

Once home, she took a shower and immediately started writing the report, sending it to Alex and Luan Nian just before 11:55, then sending each of them a message.

Alex was surprised: "Sending it so early?"

"To leave time for the bosses to make revisions."

"It's just to check the project progress, no need for revisions."

...

Damn. That bastard Luan Nian, Shang Zhitao lay in bed angry: that bar was so much fun, the singing was great too, but that asshole Luke scared and threatened her into going home.

A long time later, Luan Nian replied to her email with three points for improvement, yes, three:

Add estimated recovery for each item to the project budget list - done before

Add project sub-items, project leaders, and assessment indicators

Add unexpected situations and contingency plans

Send it to me tomorrow.

Shang Zhitao opened her report to look, she hadn't written any of these, Luan Nian's suggestions were very pertinent. Although he was very annoying, his suggestions always hit the mark, like a strict teacher who always produces high-scoring students.

She got out of bed and revised the report according to Luan Nian's suggestions. She didn't realize she had already become a workaholic. If there were pending tasks, she couldn't sleep and would think about them over and over.

This revision went on until 3 a.m. She sent the email again and suddenly felt carefree. Just as she was about to close her eyes, she received a message from Luan Nian: "This is much better."

This is much better.

Shang Zhitao felt a bit happy, the feeling of being praised was really good. She replied: I will continue to work hard, thank you Luke.

Then added: "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Luan Nian replied: Nightlife.

Nightlife my ass, he left the bar and took a designated driver home. Having had a little alcohol in the evening made him a bit excited and a bit bored. He watched some American TV shows, read a bit, but just couldn't sleep.

The only fun was grading Shang Zhitao's homework and knowing she would definitely get up and finish the revisions. His terrifying need for control was fully exerted on Shang Zhitao, and he suddenly felt that a woman like Shang Zhitao, who had little personality and was obedient, was actually quite good.

Although Shang Zhitao was dumb, she had strong execution. As Tracy said: She has a sense of responsibility.

The revised plan was still like shit, far from Luan Nian's standards, but he replied: This is much better. Why? Probably to avoid employee sudden death. He had a rare moment of mercy.

"Wow, nightlife. Then I won't disturb you, goodnight Luke."

This "wow" is a carefully chosen word, rich in meaning. Luan Nian could even imagine Shang Zhitao's gossipy face, and her utterly unconcealed emotions, which must have clearly written: "Tsk tsk, have you finished taking off your clothes?"

For the first time ever, Luan Nian replied: "Good night." Then he tossed his phone aside and went to sleep.

Shang Zhitao slept until noon. Remembering how Luan Nian had guided her in writing the report yesterday, she realized she still didn't truly understand how to write one properly. So, she took her laptop to the living room. Her roommates were chatting quietly and, seeing Shang Zhitao come out, asked her: "You're finally up."

Shang Zhitao smiled sheepishly, placed her laptop on the table, then turned to wash up. Only after tidying everything did she sit down at the table: "I'd like to ask you seniors for some advice."

"What is it?" Zhang Lei asked her.

"I don't know how to write work reports..." Shang Zhitao felt a bit shy. "Everyone has more experience than me. Could you tell me how work reports should be written?" Shang Zhitao was startled by her own diligence and ambition. If only she had shown this much drive during her studies, she surely could have gotten into a top-tier university, right? Not studying hard and now being outmatched at work—isn't that just what she deserves?

Zhang Lei quickly raised his hands in surrender: "I can't help with that. Your Brother Yuan Zhu is the expert."

"Anyone is fine, anyone is fine." Shang Zhitao was humble and eager to learn, her sincere eyes looking at everyone. "I want to learn so, so much. My path to leveling up is still a long way off!"

Sun Yu, who came from a sales background, stood up and wrapped an arm around Shang Zhitao's shoulders: "How about big sister teaches you how to drink instead?"

Everyone burst into laughter.

The laughter in that room was remembered for many, many years. A decade later, thirty-two-year-old Shang Zhitao came to Beijing on business and made a point of meeting Sun Yu for a drink nearby. By then, Sun Yu had become a big shot in the matchmaking industry, impeccably made up and talking about tens of millions in investments. Drunk, she pointed at the lights in the building upstairs and said to Shang Zhitao: "How about I buy this place?"

Let it go.

Shang Zhitao hugged her, and they wept uncontrollably on the streets of North Fifth Ring Road.