The Early Spring - Chapter 74

Chapter 74 - Brave 

Tracy had been forwarding documents to Luan Nian one after another—exceptionally detailed files. As Luan Nian examined them with meticulous care, he realized this was truly not something an ordinary background check agency could uncover; it actually required quite a bit of skill, or at least a strong background overseas. Tracy's work was thoroughly reliable, so he said to her, "My money wasn't wasted."

Tracy ignored his remark and cut straight to the point, asking him, "Are we taking him down?"

"However messy his personal life may be, that's in his past. It doesn't involve any illegal or criminal activity, and currently, there's no evidence of him stepping out of line within the company," Luan Nian replied rationally.

"Are you sure he hasn't broken the law?" Tracy shot back: "Page fifteen. A female witness provided evidence that during a company dinner, after drinking, he had relations with her while she was unconscious."

"I saw it."

"So let me ask you once more: are we taking him down?" It was rare for Tracy to sound so solemn and aggressive.

"Do you want to take him down because he was appointed by the board without going through you?" Luan Nian asked Tracy.

"Do you want to take him down because the board wants to use him to take you down?" Tracy asked Luan Nian in turn.

After a brief silence, both of them sent messages almost at the exact same moment: "No, because it's disgusting," Luan Nian said.

"No, because I'm a woman," Tracy said.

And just like that, an alliance was forged.

However, a man like Luan Nian either wouldn't make a move at all, or once he did, he wouldn't give the other party a single chance to turn the tables. He was by no means a benevolent soul, not someone to be provoked lightly.

Flipping through Tracy's compiled files, it was just as Luan Nian had said: incidents that happened abroad couldn't be easily traced back at home, unless he refused to mend his evil ways domestically as well. Still, there was no need to sit around waiting for the prey to fall into the trap. Luan Nian decided to take the initiative.

Song Qiuhan's phone call interrupted his train of thought. Luan Nian asked him, "Have you looked over the materials?"

"I have."

"How are they?"

"Not bad. But it's not within my coverage area, so I forwarded the files to my colleagues in the China region. They'll schedule a meeting sometime soon."

"Great. I'll join as well."

"No problem. Don't worry—as long as the team is reliable, they have a ninety-five percent chance of securing the investment," Song Qiuhan offered his preliminary assessment.

"You've always been thorough and dependable; I trust your judgment. Thanks."

"You're welcome. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Judging by their phone call alone, one might assume these two men weren't particularly close, but they were actually deeply acquainted. They had traveled together twice and shared a group chat—four people bound by a rock-solid friendship. Yet neither of them liked talking much, both possessing a certain cold detachment, so a few brief words served as their greeting. Still, Luan Nian knew Song Qiuhan was completely dependable.

With that, he dialed Shang Zhitao.

She was currently at an event site where the surroundings were exceptionally noisy. She was somewhat surprised to receive a call from Luan Nian; after all, he had abruptly hung up the phone the previous night and ignored her ever since.

"Give me Sun Yu's phone number."

"Huh?"

"Someone from an investment bank is going to meet with her."

Shang Zhitao could hardly believe her ears, double-checking with Luan Nian once more: "Really?"

Sensing the heartfelt joy in her voice, Luan Nian surprisingly felt a rare touch of happiness himself. "Mm. Give me her contact info, and I'll set up a time."

Previously, Shang Zhitao had never expected Luan Nian to take her affairs to heart, let alone those of her friends—especially after he had inexplicably hung up on her. Moved by a subtle swell of emotion, she sniffled slightly and said to Luan Nian, "Thank you, truly."

"You might as well pledge yourself to me in return then."

"I could also treat you to a meal."

"How about you just make me angry less often!" Luan Nian hung up the phone, leaving Shang Zhitao staring at her device in a daze. Me, making you angry? When did I ever make you angry? I barely have time to coax you, so how could I have made you angry? Thinking about it like that, she felt Luan Nian was wrongfully accusing her, so she sent him a message: When did I ever make you angry?

Figure it out yourself.

Luan Nian sent that reply, yet held no expectation that she actually could figure it out on her own; with that brain of hers, she'd most likely never get it through her head. When off-duty time arrived, he packed up his things and left once more. Running straight into Tracy, he caught her puzzled expression: "Meeting a client?"

"Going home to walk the dog."

"Didn't you say that dog was given away?"

"Brought it back again."

Tracy followed behind him into the elevator, sizing Luan Nian up from top to bottom. "Are you in love?"

"Is this under your jurisdiction as well?"

"Not right now, but later when your girlfriend sends a blast to the company email group to expose your scandal, it'll fall under my jurisdiction." Tracy was equally formidable when it came to banter, wielding hidden blades with ease, yet her opponent was even ruthless: "Then you'll finally have some actual work to do."

Neither gaining the upper hand over the other, Tracy let out a huff and stepped off the elevator.

Luan Nian recalled the name "Dony" that had flashed across Shang Zhitao's phone screen that night, no longer willing to give Dony any more time to slip up. He couldn't afford to wait. He had to make his move.

Upon reaching home, Luan Nian put Luke on a leash and headed out of the residential complex, having booked a bath appointment for the dog. Before they even entered the pet shop, Luke began acting restless. It hated taking baths, preferring to stay filthy instead; sitting flat on its bottom on the ground, it threw its neck backward with all its might, refusing to take another step forward even if it meant death.

Luan Nian threatened it, "If you don't move, I'll turn you into stew."

Luke still refused to budge: Turn me into stew then!

One man and one dog remained in a deadlock for a long time until Luan Nian finally surrendered, stepping forward to scoop it up. Clinging to his shoulder, Luke shook its legs like a spineless coward. It was rare for Luan Nian to be gentle, going so far as to pat its back to comfort it: "What are you afraid of? It's just a bath."

Luke let out a drawn-out whimper: Woo~ I don't wanna take a bath! It looked as if it had a world of grievances to share.

Luan Nian held it tightly as he carried it into the pet shop, delivering it to the washing station, and spent quite some time softly soothing it before stepping back outside the glass window to watch it get washed. Luan Nian felt he must be so bored out of his mind to carry a dog for a bath and even comfort it—what on earth was this nonsense?

As Luke was being washed, its appearance transformed completely. A short while later, white fur began floating through the grooming room, forming a thick layer on the floor. Luan Nian felt this money was truly well spent. Once the dog was done washing, he went ahead and bought a bath membership card on the spot, as though Luke were going to be staying at his place regularly from now on.

After the bath, Luke looked genuinely handsome—covered in soft, fine fur, squinting its eyes, and sticking out its tongue as it smiled into the autumn breeze, looking absurdly stylish. So stylish that even Luan Nian thought this dog wasn't half bad.

When Shang Zhitao called him that evening to ask if Luke had been good, Luan Nian couldn't resist mocking: "Don't you know what your own dog is like? Trembling over a simple bath—I've never seen a dog so cowardly."

"You took him for a bath?"

"Mm."

"How much was it?"

"Five thousand."

"What? A single bath for a dog costs five thousand near your neighborhood?"

"...Bought a membership card."

"Oh." Shang Zhitao thought for a moment, then probed tentatively: "A five-thousand-yuan card, huh... Then Luke better get baths there regularly from now on... Otherwise, if the owner runs off with the money..."

"Mm."

When Luan Nian uttered that reply, Luke was sitting by the window watching the falling leaves. Under the dim, yellow glow of the window light, its lonely little silhouette looked as though it were suffering from depression. How was it that even Shang Zhitao's dog managed to evoke such pity?

"I'll be back next Friday. Can I head straight over to your place? Otherwise, it'd be too much of a hassle back and forth..."

"Okay." Luan Nian cast another glance at Luke; he truly needed to make Luke use up every single bath, or else that five thousand yuan would be thrown down the drain.

Why was Luan Nian being so agreeable today, without throwing a single tantrum? Shang Zhitao even felt unaccustomed to it. A colleague poked her head out from the private dining room to call her: "Shang Zhitao, hurry over!" Answering the call, she said to Luan Nian, "The Southwest branch arranged a group dinner today, so I'm heading inside now."

"Mm. You didn't drink, did you?"

"No."

"Protect yourself."

Shang Zhitao gave a soft promise, hung up the phone, and walked back inside.

Inside the private room, three rounds of drinks had already passed, and the atmosphere was exceptionally lively; even Dony's complexion had subtly shifted. Unbuttoning two buttons on his shirt and rolling up his sleeves to reveal his well-shaped wrists, a fine sheen of sweat coated his forehead, projecting a sort of attractive charm.

Shang Zhitao thought to herself: if this man didn't harbor such vile intentions, how far could he have risen in the corporate world? While her mind was wandering, Dony's gaze drifted over, cutting across the table full of food and wine to land on her face, flashing her a gentle smile.

Shang Zhitao smiled back at him, took a sip from the teacup before her, and shifted her gaze elsewhere.

In Dony's eyes, it seemed this girl was acting coy and perhaps held a bit of interest in him as well. Consequently, while speaking, he would intentionally or unintentionally look at her from time to time with a special connotation, attempting to trap Shang Zhitao firmly within his net until she finally threw down her armor and surrendered completely.

Dony enjoyed such games; he derived pleasure from the thrill of conquering women.

A short while later, Shang Zhitao went to the restroom. Instead of using the one inside the private room, she chose to go to the public restroom. Located at the end of the corridor, the public restroom required passing several empty private rooms. At this hour, many parties had already wrapped up.

She lingered inside the restroom a bit longer before coming out to wash her hands, dry them, and make her way back. Dony came walking toward her, and as he passed by her side, he yanked her into an adjacent private room, pulling the door shut. They were trapped together in the darkness.

Shang Zhitao asked him in a sharp voice, "What are you doing!"

"Flora, stop putting on act. We're both consenting adults; I know what you want." Dony's hands clamped down tightly on her shoulders, shoving her against the wall. Shang Zhitao heard a sharp thud—it was the sound of her body hitting the wall.

She forced herself to stay calm: "I suggest you let go. I'm going to scream!"

"Is that so?" Dony placed his hand on her neck: "I heard you wanted to transfer to the planning department, but your resume wasn't quite enough?" As the young girl's body temperature rose, Dony felt like he was holding a little chick in his grip.

It was a stark, straightforward temptation. Shang Zhitao remained silent, so Dony pressed on: "Promotions and salary raises—they're right at your fingertips. Think about it: wouldn't this be so much easier than grinding all on your own? You've worked hard for over two years just to advance two levels. When will you ever reach the top?"

"I didn't expect Dony to rely on such methods to win over women." Shang Zhitao forced her voice to sound composed, but she couldn't pull it off. She was on the verge of tears.

"The method doesn't matter; what matters is the result." Dony let out a chuckle, seeking Shang Zhitao's ear with his lips. Shang Zhitao suddenly began to thrash violently, shouting at the top of her lungs: "Let go of me! Let go of me!"

Reaching out to tear at his clothes, the private room door suddenly swung open. That female colleague from Chengdu stood at the doorway right on cue, reaching out to switch on the light as she asked them, "What's going on?"

Shang Zhitao pushed Dony away with all her strength, bolted out, ran back to her private room, grabbed her bag amidst the astonished looks of everyone present, and fled.

Sprinting out of the hotel, she dialed Lumi, her voice trembling slightly.

"Lumi, I have evidence. Concrete evidence—proof of workplace sexual harassment."

"Flora, where are you? Where are the Chengdu colleagues?"

"I'm in Chengdu, but I'm planning to catch the very last flight back."

"Once you're back, let's execute the final step, okay?" Lumi said to her, "Hey sister, you know what? You're freaking incredible. I finally know why I liked you the moment I laid eyes on you—because I knew that deep down in your bones, you're just that badass of a person!"

Shang Zhitao fought back hot tears. Having endured for so long, she had finally recorded every single detail of how a man escalated from verbal harassment to concrete actions, and she even secured an eyewitness. Ever since the day Dony asked if she had a boyfriend, she had bought a voice recorder and carried it on her person at all times. Whenever Dony appeared near her, she would turn it on.

Shang Zhitao thought to herself: I'm no meek little lamb; I'm going to make sure a maggot like you has nowhere left to hide. That day was the bravest moment in Shang Zhitao's entire life. Such bravery also stemmed from what that colleague had said to her that day: "I don't want to drink; there's a wolf at the table." The female colleague had wept to Shang Zhitao, recounting how Dony had pinned her down after she got drunk. Fortunately, she happened to be on her period that day.

Dony had told that colleague: You were drunk; no one will believe a drunk woman. I can easily say you seduced me. Don't you want a promotion? I can give you that chance.

Having succeeded before, he assumed every girl was an easy target.

And now that Shang Zhitao had the evidence, she could finally bring this maggot to justice.

Even up to this moment, Dony still assumed the incident would simply be swept under the rug; he didn't believe Shang Zhitao would do anything to harm him, because she seemed so easy to bully.

Shang Zhitao felt victory was right around the corner, yet her legs kept shaking uncontrollably. Even after boarding the plane, landing, and heading straight to Luan Nian's house, her trembling didn't seem to stop.

She unlocked the door, and Luke greeted her in the dead of night. Giving Luke a quick hug, she ran into Luan Nian's room. Seeing him having just shut his laptop, Shang Zhitao removed her clothes piece by piece, cupping his face to kiss him passionately. Luan Nian gathered her trembling body into his arms, imprinting his lips and tongue onto her skin as he whispered in her ear, "Weren't you supposed to come back in half a month?"

"I couldn't wait. I wanted to see you today."

Shang Zhitao arched her body, pressing tightly against him: "I want to see you right now."

"Shang Zhitao, what happened?"

Shang Zhitao shook her head: "I just suddenly missed you so much." She thought she ought to tell Luan Nian that Dony had been harassing her all along, but she didn't. A tiny sliver of pride in her heart made her feel she shouldn't rely on Luan Nian—that she should resolve this on her own, standing as an independent, adult woman. What was more, behind her stood Lumi, Sun Yuanzhu, Sun Yu, and that deeply suffering female colleague. They could pull this off.

Shang Zhitao never regretted her decision back then; she knew that from that moment on, she was practicing how to face everything on her own. She knew she had already been thrust into this cruel reality, and anyone attempting to solve problems through fairy tales would struggle to find a better way out. Reality was always bloody and raw. She used this method to prove to herself that she could make it—that she could survive even without Luan Nian.

One had to clash head-on at least once.

"Luan Nian," she called his name in the darkness, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

"I'm here." With his burning, fervent kiss, Luan Nian led her out of the dark night, carrying her toward the light.