The Early Spring - Chapter 56

Chapter 56 - Tearing Off the Facade 

Shang Zhitao's boiling hot heart had a ladle of cold water splashed all over it by Luan Nian. Was she destined never to win his affirmation?

Even though she knew what he said was very likely true, her heart simply could not accept it. Perhaps she really should go with Alex. Perhaps she really ought to do as Lumi said, tightly latching onto Alex's coattails so that she could soar to success from that moment on. If she stayed behind, she would likely get axed by the new boss and still have to endure Luan Nian's deeply rooted contempt.

She wouldn't be the first person in the workplace to soar to success by riding someone's coattails, nor would she be the last. This was a shortcut fate had handed her on a silver platter, and she ought to cherish it.

While she lay in bed tossing and turning, Alex sent her an email detailing his new company's profile—a Series C funding round with a vast world of potential. She even looked up the company address; it was right near her home. From then on, she could squeeze onto fewer buses, cut down on her commute time, and boost her personal happiness index. Most importantly, with a new job, she wouldn't be surrounded by Luan Nian at every turn. She could reduce the number of times she saw him and slowly sever the improper relationship between them. She could embrace a brand-new life.

She mapped out so many, many things that by the time she went to work the next day, she even had the illusion that she wouldn't be staying at Lemei much longer.

The moment Lumi arrived at the company, she sidled up to Shang Zhitao and whispered, "Did he approach you?"

Shang Zhitao nodded.

"What are you thinking?"

"I want to go with him."

Lumi fell silent for a brief moment before telling Shang Zhitao, "To go or not to go is entirely your personal choice. You're so capable that wherever you end up, you'll do just fine."

"Am I really that capable?" Shang Zhitao asked Lumi.

"Yes, you're fantastic." Lumi paused to think, then added, "But I hope your decision isn't based on money, because that isn't rational. Still, I have to tell you, you are truly amazing."

Then why did Luan Nian feel she was completely worthless? Shang Zhitao grew sensitive, though Luan Nian wasn't targeting her personally. He was simply voicing what was on his mind. The corporate world was complex, and the Marketing Department had several employees who could handle things independently. If Alex was heading off to battle in a new environment, he should be taking people who could fight harder, rather than choosing Shang Zhitao. Luan Nian was only guessing; he had no proof that Alex intended to take Shang Zhitao or anyone else with him. He hoped Shang Zhitao possessed the ability to think independently, even though she very likely didn't.

Choosing Lemei meant no cash rewards as generous as the new job in the short term, but Lemei was a top-tier company in the industry, making it much easier to become an industry expert—though it required enduring perseverance. Going to the new company meant short-term cash compensation superior to Lemei's, but it also came with risks. Luan Nian had always believed that only with sufficient capability could one handle any job. No matter how bosses changed, your abilities would ultimately allow you to stand firm. This was a truth he hoped Shang Zhitao could figure out on her own; no job ever dropped free pies from the sky.

It wasn't until Wednesday that Luan Nian notified everyone of a Marketing Department meeting scheduled for Thursday. Alex's last day was at the end of the month, so he would still be attending this meeting. Luan Nian requested everyone to organize the projects currently in their hands, as he would be listening to their reports one by one.

Everyone was tense—except for Sunny, who had already decided to follow Alex. As for Shang Zhitao, she was still oscillating between leaving and staying, but either way, she needed to prepare her project report properly. She spent the entire day on Wednesday summarizing and reviewing her work, and when she packed her things to leave, it was already late into the night. Luan Nian's office light was still on. She had no idea what he was working on, but he was always so busy.

Did Luan Nian also reach where he was today by riding someone's coattails? Shang Zhitao suddenly asked herself this question. Did he also win industry awards, enter the board of directors, and head the China branch by riding someone's coattails? If he didn't have a powerful backer, what did he rely on to climb to this position?

Her hand lingered on the elevator's open button without her realizing it.

It wasn't until Luan Nian stepped into the elevator, looked at her hand, and asked, "Waiting for me?"

"Huh?" Shang Zhitao didn't catch his meaning. Following his gaze, she saw her hand pressing the wrong button and instantly her face flushed red. "No."

"Lost your soul?"

"No."

Seeing the evasive look in Shang Zhitao's eyes, Luan Nian knew his guess was right. Alex really was planning to take her with him. The corporate world was complicated; he had said what needed to be said, and she was an adult who should make her own decisions.

He went down to the underground parking garage, and his car drove straight out through the regular exit without circling around to the front of the company building. Luan Nian wanted to reduce the number of times he appeared in front of Shang Zhitao to give her time to think independently.

He even felt that Shang Zhitao leaving Lemei might actually be a good thing, as it would naturally sever their relationship. Sitting on his bed reading for a while, he received a call from his mother, Dr. Liang. Every aging mother is enthusiastic about setting up blind dates for her single child, and Dr. Liang was no exception. This time, the profile she sent was a bit more normal: a twenty-six-year-old girl who taught art at a university, which actually matched Luan Nian's hobbies. Dr. Liang also sent a photo of the girl, her hair pinned back in a bun, looking slender, fair-skinned, and radiant with life. In Dr. Liang's words, it was rare to run into someone whose photo made her immediately feel a match for her son.

"Want to meet her?"

"Pass."

"Why?"

"Too busy lately. And." Luan Nian paused before replying to Dr. Liang, "My stamina hasn't been great recently."

"What kind of symptoms?"

"Dizziness, blurred vision, weak limbs, no desire for food or sex." Luan Nian talked nonsense to distract Dr. Liang.

"Kidney deficiency, huh? Go get a checkup at the hospital." Dr. Liang knew Luan Nian was spouting nonsense, but she didn't call him out. Their mother-son relationship was good; whenever Luan Nian started talking nonsense, it meant he was annoyed by the blind date. Dr. Liang knew where to draw the line—it wasn't a big deal anyway, so she laughed it off with a few casual remarks.

Luan Nian set his phone aside. Thinking back to Shang Zhitao's absent-mindedness, he ultimately still called her: "Are you sure you don't have anything you want to ask me? Or are you sure there's nothing you want to tell me?"

"No." Shang Zhitao completely clammed up about Alex. Even though Luan Nian had sent her that strange text message implying he had already figured it out, as long as she didn't say anything, he had no proof, and Alex wouldn't be branded as a defector trying to disrupt team balance.

She had reasoned this out. She hadn't realized that, without knowing it, she had stood on Alex's side. At such a critical fork in the road, she neither trusted Luan Nian nor chose him. Because she knew her departure and development meant nothing to him—he hadn't even made a sincere effort to retain Alex, so what was she in his eyes? Just that cheap, obedient employee he had mentioned? If Lemei wanted employees like that, they were probably a dime a dozen.

Her silence signaled her firm resolve, and Luan Nian understood. After pondering for a long time, he told her, "If you're going to leave, you can let me know in advance. I'll speak with Human Resources so it's handled as a termination, which means you'll get severance."

Shang Zhitao was surprised that Luan Nian could be so kind-hearted, so she thanked him very sincerely: "Okay, thank you, Luke. If I make up my mind, I'll definitely let you know in advance."

"So what did Alex promise you? A doubled salary? A promotion within a year? Telling you that following his lead is the only way to get ahead? Shang Zhitao, do you even have a brain?" Luan Nian's voice suddenly spiked, his anger piercing through the phone to scorch Shang Zhitao's eardrums, leaving her nowhere to hide.

Shang Zhitao suddenly realized she had fallen into Luan Nian's trap. Using a retreat-to-advance tactic, he had lured her into his setup, making her inadvertently sell out Alex. According to company regulations, departing executives were barred from poaching team members for half a year; it was considered unfair competition and subject to non-compete clauses. People in the past hadn't pursued it simply because they weren't Luan Nian. Luan Nian lacked all sentimentality.

Clutching the phone, Shang Zhitao didn't dare speak, her mind frozen in place.

Human complexity was far beyond what Shang Zhitao imagined. Alex and Luan Nian weren't nearly as harmonious on the inside as they appeared on the surface. Alex originally had a chance at the top spot and even thought it would be him, but the board chose Luan Nian. While Alex cooperated with Luan Nian's work, he was also the first executive to jump ship after Luan Nian took office. No matter how polished the surface appearance was, his actual actions exposed his true thoughts.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Luan Nian reined in his temper and said, "Do you know what your fundamental problem is, Shang Zhitao? You lack conviction. How old are you, yet you get so easily swayed the moment you encounter a little temptation? Have you ever thought about your future? Or are you just chasing immediate benefits, with a vision that's this short-sighted?"

"Having money is having a future." Shang Zhitao retorted. She didn't actually believe that, but she wanted to say it anyway: "I make my own decisions about my own life; you don't need to trouble yourself over it."

"You think I want to trouble myself over you? If you used your brain even a little, I wouldn't have to waste my breath on you!"

"I never begged you to talk to me!" Shang Zhitao had never imagined she would ever argue with Luan Nian. She was always the obedient one between them; he taught, and she learned; he made decisions, and she followed. But when Luan Nian got angry, he spoke without filtering his words. At a time when she was swaying left and right, his attitude completely pushed her away. She forced herself to calm down, then said, "Then I'll give you my decision right now: I've decided to go with Alex. No other reason—just because he has backed me up time and time again, and because he has always respected me and spoken to me like a normal person."

Speaking like a normal person, saying nice things—what a terribly humble wish for Shang Zhitao. Even though she knew Luan Nian was simply built that way and spoke to everyone like that, he was also the man who had gently said on the phone, Then I'll bring flowers to see you. It was just that she wasn't the person on the other end of that call.

Shang Zhitao still took it to heart—took it to heart thoroughly and completely.

She hung up the phone, suddenly feeling a wave of grievance. She had hoped Luan Nian would urge her to stay, but not like this.

Yet when she calmed down further, she realized that although every word Luan Nian said sounded harsh, she truly had failed to think things through, and she really had been blindly dragged into top-level corporate maneuvering. Why exactly was Alex leaving? Why on earth did Luan Nian refuse to keep him? What did he mean by only chasing immediate benefits without thinking about the future?

Shang Zhitao was stubborn. She began to push back against Luan Nian's strictness. The problems between them had always existed; she had simply been unwilling to face them before, and this incident had merely triggered them.

"Then I wish you good luck." Luan Nian told her.

"I will."

Shang Zhitao spent the night tossing and turning like a pancake, and by the time she attended the Marketing Department meeting the next day, dark circles shadowed her eyes. She and Lumi chose seats in the corner, and as they glanced at each other, neither dared to breathe too loudly.

Luan Nian, however, simply smiled. He joked, "Is the atmosphere so heavy it makes me think the Marketing Department has been disbanded?"