The Early Spring - Chapter 77

Chapter 77 - Translucent 

Shang Zhitao placed the drink on another table by the window, where the moonlight shone brightly and the ice heart glinted within the glass. Having had his fill of meat, Luke ran out and sat beside her, keeping her company as she gazed at the moon.

Her drink was different from the rest; a girl at the neighboring table stole several glances before telling her companion, "I want that cocktail too. I've never seen it before, but it looks delicious."

She asked Shang Zhitao what the name of the cocktail was.

"It's called A Brave Heart." Shang Zhitao knew nothing about cocktails, assuming it was just a typical sweet, gentle drink meant for women, though it carried a slight kick. Luan Nian had crafted a drink that mirrored Shang Zhitao's personality.

"Is it the owner's special mix?" the girl asked again.

"Huh?" Shang Zhitao clearly didn't understand what an owner's special mix was.

The girl raised her hand and said to Luan Nian, "I'd like a glass of that drink too."

"Sorry, there's no more left." Luan Nian sat down beside Shang Zhitao with a glass of plain water, offering the girl a polite smile.

"Is that cocktail the owner's special mix?"

Luan Nian cast a glance at the exquisitely translucent heart inside the glass and nodded: "Yes."

"I knew it," the girl turned back to her companion and said, "I've never seen it in other bars."

"What is an owner's special mix?" Shang Zhitao asked Luan Nian in a low voice.

"It just means the owner mixes whatever he pleases." Luan Nian leaned back against the sofa to watch the moon. In the entire bar, only that single small square candle remained at the neighboring table, while the store manager put on a gentle song. Everyone fell quiet, lounging on their respective sofas to admire the moon.

In the darkness, Shang Zhitao clasped Luan Nian's hand and rested her head on his shoulder. Luan Nian spread his arm across the back of the sofa so she could lean comfortably.

Luke mimicked Shang Zhitao, jumping onto the sofa beside Luan Nian and pawing at his arm with his front legs: I want some too.

"No." Luan Nian disciplined him in a low voice.

Undeterred, Luke kept pawing at him. Luan Nian let out a huff and moved his arm, allowing Luke to lie down on the sofa with his head resting on Luan Nian's leg.

Shang Zhitao felt she had never been greedy for much; an occasional night like this was enough to heal all her painful wounds. Though she hadn't truly experienced any profound suffering in her life, having grown up healthy and safe as a plain, ordinary girl.

Pulling Luan Nian's hand over, she planted soft, gentle kisses on the back of his hand, one after another. The words "I love you" hovered at the tip of her tongue several times, yet she never uttered them aloud.

By the time they descended the mountain, it was already the early hours of the morning. Shang Zhitao pulled out her phone and saw comforting messages sent one after another by her colleagues, replying to each of them individually. There was one from Lumi that read: The more I fucking think about it, the angrier I get! Some people don't deserve your protection at all. When submitting the evidence, you should've included that footage of her sneaking into his room in the middle of the night!

Shang Zhitao hurriedly replied: Don't. There's no need to go that far. Give her a way out.

Too late. I've already sent an anonymous email, Lumi replied. Lumi had pondered it for nearly the entire night; Kitty was a vengeful person, and if she wasn't knocked down today, she would surely pop back up tomorrow. Hadn't she tripped others up openly and covertly enough times over the years? Including that sickening remark she made during the day—was that something a human being should say?

...You move fast.

Hahahahaha, I'm in such a great mood! How are you holding up? I called Sun Yu, and she said you went out with a friend.

Shang Zhitao stole a glance at Luan Nian, who was checking his phone, and replied: I'm doing great.

My stubborn donkey's move today was so damn satisfying! How the hell can he be so breathtakingly handsome? After you left today, he left as well, and the stock price crashed horribly.

Huh? Did it crash because of the scandal?

What the hell does the scandal count for? It crashed because the man at the helm said he's quitting, getting off the ship, and washing his hands of it all. Luke won this round brilliantly.

"What do you mean?"

"Meaning Luke resigned."

Luan Nian resigned? Yet he hadn't mentioned a single word about it tonight. Shang Zhitao stole a look at him; his brow was furrowed, looking somewhat displeased.

Shang Zhitao gave Luke a subtle glance, extended a finger pointing toward Luan Nian, and gently waved it: "Go!"

Luke moved fast, swooping beside Luan Nian in a flash and rubbing his head against Luan Nian's chest relentlessly. Luan Nian put down his phone and pinched his dog face: "Go away!"

No!

One man and one dog began wrestling. Shang Zhitao giggled beside them until Luan Nian leaped off the bed, scooped her up, and tossed her onto the mattress, forcing her to join the chaos. They fooled around for a long time until they were utterly exhausted, with Luke sprawled on the floor while the two of them lay on the bed, catching their breath.

Shang Zhitao turned onto her side to look at Luan Nian, unable to stop herself from smiling again.

She was never one to dwell on heavy thoughts anyway, and all that earth-shattering grief and vulnerability from the daytime had vanished completely. She even began comforting herself: How lucky am I? I have such a tender bed partner, such a wonderful colleague like Lumi, and such great friends like Sun Yuanzhu and Sun Yu.

When someone asked her how she had managed to uncover the details of the female protagonist in Dony's previous scandal, Shang Zhitao kept her lips sealed. It was because Sun Yuanzhu had utilized hacking techniques to turn Dony completely upside down for her.

Shang Zhitao knew that not everyone was as fortunate as she was, and she felt exceptionally grateful.

The people at Linmei only knew that Dony had broken the law, but they didn't know why those six women had suddenly joined forces to report it to the police, nor did they know how Dony's domestic life had been exposed. Only Luan Nian and Tracy knew that Luan Nian had spent a massive sum of money to convince the only girl who was reluctant to speak up—despite possessing solid evidence—to stand forward.

Luan Nian did all of this effortlessly, brushing off his sleeves and leaving without a single trace once it was done.

He placed his palm over Shang Zhitao's face, pushing her back onto the bed: "Be serious."

"Oh." Taking advantage of the gesture, Shang Zhitao kissed his palm. Luan Nian withdrew his hand, gazing at her under the bright moonlight. His fingertips rested on her neck—the very neck that had been grabbed by Dony's filthy hand.

Luan Nian's lips pressed against her neck in a soft, tender kiss, slowly dissolving that fear spanning 1,520 kilometers.

Shang Zhitao cherished his rare tenderness, and she wasn't about to say anything to ruin the mood, such as asking why he had resigned. She felt she didn't need to ask; this time she was certain that Luan Nian's fight and resignation were not due to high-level corporate struggles, but purely because his heart had ached for her.

Luan Nian felt heartache for her—this realization moved her beyond words.

It was only after they were finished that Shang Zhitao spoke up: "How am I supposed to go to work tomorrow morning?"

Luan Nian glanced at the time; it was three in the morning: "Take a leave."

"I can't." Shang Zhitao was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open: "I can't take a leave; Tracy wants to have a face-to-face chat with me."

"Go to sleep. I'll drive you."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Once Shang Zhitao fell asleep, Luan Nian grabbed his phone and continued replying to Tracy's messages: When I say I'm resigning, I mean it. Whether the stock price rises or falls has nothing to do with me; I cashed out my shares long ago, and as for the remaining several hundred thousand shares, I'll just treat them as trash.

I know you're not short on money. Tracy unexpectedly hadn't slept either; the day's events had left her thoroughly overwhelmed, driving a person with normally regular sleep habits into complete insomnia: I am. I just got divorced, you know? I need to buy a new house. With the stock falling like this, what am I supposed to buy it with?

I'll lend it to you.

You can lend it to me, but can you lend it to everyone?

Then let everyone fend for themselves!

...People from headquarters have already boarded the plane. They're scheduling a face-to-face meeting with you the day after tomorrow.

Not seeing them.

You have a non-compete clause, and according to company regulations, you need to give at least half a year's notice to resign.

According to company regulations, I decide on the hiring in my domain. So why did those old geezers still send someone over? Regulations are bullshit.

Alright, fine. Come to the office tomorrow for a face-to-face chat?

"No."

Luan Nian switched off his phone and went to sleep.

When morning arrived, hearing movement beside him, he opened his eyes to see Shang Zhitao dressing on tiptoe: "Acting like a thief?"

"You're awake? I need to go to work."

"Didn't I say I'd drive you?" Luan Nian got up to put on his clothes, while Shang Zhitao chimed in from the side: "No need! I'll just hail a cab, and Luke can stay here."

"Are you out of your mind? Where are you going to hail a cab at this hour?"

"Oh."

Luan Nian took a quick shower, dressed, and went downstairs to whip up a swift breakfast. Shang Zhitao liked toast and milk, so Luan Nian fried two eggs and sprinkled dried osmanthus flowers into her milk: "Come eat before you leave."

Shang Zhitao had long grown accustomed to Luan Nian's breakfasts. She thanked him, took a sip of milk, and stole a glance at him.

"Out with it if you have something to say."

"You resigned?"

"Mm."

"Why?"

"Because I'm rich, and I can resign whenever I damn well please." Seeing Shang Zhitao gulp down the milk in one breath, Luan Nian poured her another glass. It was only after she drank it that she said, "Must be nice to be rich. Unlike me, I don't have the backing to resign."

"If you don't want to work, you can resign too and come be a server at my bar," Luan Nian teased her.

Shang Zhitao actually gave serious thought to that possibility, asking Luan Nian: "If the bar keeps hiring such handsome managers and servers in the future, earning a bit less wouldn't be out of the question." She was clearly overcome by attractive looks.

Luan Nian let out a huff; this breakfast was truly wasted on a dog. Driving out with Shang Zhitao and Luke, he parked the car on a street near the company and casually said to Shang Zhitao, "I'll come pick you up tonight."

"Sure." Shang Zhitao hopped out of the car and jogged toward the company.

Upon reaching the company entrance, however, she halted her steps. She wasn't ready to face her colleagues' sympathetic gazes just yet. A colleague passing by called out kindly, "Morning, Flora! Aren't you going in?"

"I am." Shang Zhitao rode the elevator with them, walked to her workstation, and was surprised to find that Lumi had unexpectedly arrived already.

"Why are you here so early?" Shang Zhitao asked her.

"I'm here to keep those foul mouths in check." Lumi slouched over her desk in a careless, boss-lady posture, looking as though she were ready to roll up her sleeves and fight for Shang Zhitao again today.

Shang Zhitao's eyes reddened as she said to Lumi, "I love you, you know that right?"

Lumi blew a whistle: "Then pledge yourself to me~"

After chatting for a while, Shang Zhitao opened her computer and inbox, receiving countless messages of comfort from her colleagues. They replied to her original email:

Flora, hang in there!

Flora, I sit on the fourth floor. Tomorrow you'll see someone wearing a 'Girls Go For It' baseball jacket—that's me.

Flora, thank you. I also experienced something like this in the past, but I endured it in silence all along. Thank you for showing me that a girl can be this brave.

There were so many emails. As Shang Zhitao read them one by one, she suddenly felt that being understood was a wonderful feeling. Back then, she had simply felt she ought to step forward, never imagining what kind of impact this action would have on others. It was only at this moment that she finally felt it was all worth it.

When she encountered her colleagues' gazes again, she no longer felt anything unusual, seeing only warmth and friendliness instead. In the workplace, only a tiny handful of people were truly bad; the vast majority were just ordinary, kindhearted people like her.

Including Tracy.

Managing the human resources for such a massive company, she was ultimately just an ordinary person who felt heartbroken over Shang Zhitao's ordeal. She had a coffee machine in her office and personally made a mocha for Shang Zhitao, saying to her, "Drink something sweet today to defeat the blues."

"Thank you."

"Did you sleep well last night?" Tracy asked her.

Recalling Luan Nian's tender kisses and warm embrace, Shang Zhitao nodded: "Very well."

"I'm glad you're no longer having nightmares." Tracy patted the back of her hand and then said, "Now, our conversation isn't at the corporate level, because this matter has already been handed over to the judicial authorities. The police hope you will participate in providing evidence. Do you agree?"

"I agree."

"Dony has a bit of background, so to what extent this case can be prosecuted is something none of us know for sure. But I want to state my position: Luke and I are determined to put him behind bars." Tracy shared the background details with Shang Zhitao, wanting to inform her of the facts so that the girl would be mentally prepared in case of future retaliation.

Shang Zhitao nodded: "I understand. I'm not afraid, and I will cooperate with the investigation." Shang Zhitao thought to herself: Since I've already come this far, I must not forget my original intention. Her original intention was to ensure the bad guy received his due punishment; she couldn't give up now.

Tracy looked at her and smiled: "Flora, the first time I met you, I felt you might be a remarkable girl. No real basis for it—just intuition."

"Thank you. Thank you for showing me so much favor." Shang Zhitao wasn't truly foolish. As her work gradually developed, she saw how strict Linmei was with its talent, and remembered how Luan Nian kept asking what her relationship with Tracy was at the very beginning. She gradually came to understand that she had encountered a good person—someone willing to give her a chance. This was fate showing favor to her.

Not everyone was granted such an opportunity.

"So when I hired you back then despite all the opposition, it turned out to be a fantastic decision." Despite all opposition—where did "all opposition" even come from? It was just Luan Nian's sole opposition. "Next, the new head of Marketing will arrive at his post shortly. As for the Planning Department, if the board of directors can manage to deal with Luke..." Tracy let out a bitter smile: "You know Luke resigned, right?"

"Mm, I know."

"If the board of directors can handle him, he will oversee the Planning Department concurrently. The Planning Department will open thirty percent of its requisitions for internal application; you can give it a try."

"Can I?"

"I think you can. But the final hiring decision depends on the Planning Department."

"Thank you."

"Keep it up."

Shang Zhitao stepped out of Tracy's office, mulling over the phrase the Planning Department will be overseen by Luke concurrently. She actually liked working alongside Luan Nian very much; he was strict, but working with him allowed her to learn a tremendous amount.

After thinking it over, she sent Luan Nian a message: I want to apply internally to transfer to the Planning Department.

Luan Nian was currently out in a suburban park soaking up the sun with Luke. Seeing the text, he replied: Go for it.

Will you pass me?

First of all, I've resigned. Secondly, internal applications are judged by a three-person panel; one person doesn't make the call. Luan Nian's underlying meaning was clear: there's no green light, so work hard on your own. If you have the ability, step up; if not, stay in Marketing.

Shang Zhitao understood what he meant.

She hadn't expected him to help her anyway; she simply wanted to work together with him.

Then will you come back to be my boss?

?