The Early Spring - Chapter 94

Chapter 94 - Out of Control

Luan Nian said that men were no good—every single one of them, himself included, cursing them all harshly. Shang Zhitao found him quite amusing; when that mouth of his turned venomous, he didn't even spare himself.

She brought up her application to go to the Northwest with Luan Nian, and he asked her why she really wanted to go.

She thought for a moment. “I’m applying for a promotion to Expert next year, and I’m still short one S+ project. Grace also suggested that I go.”

“Grace suggested it?”

“Yes.”

“Why did Grace suggest you go? Have you thought about that?”

“Why?” Shang Zhitao asked him.

“Think about it yourself. You’re not twenty-two and clueless anymore.”

Luan Nian was unwilling to speak too plainly. The workplace was complex, with everyone harboring their own hidden motives. Shang Zhitao had established a firm foothold in the Planning Department and was rising rapidly through the ranks; she would soon become Grace’s competitor. Grace suggesting that she go to the Northwest this time meant leaving the home base, staying far away from her colleagues, and taking on a risky project. No matter how one weighed it, the cons far outweighed the pros.

However, Shang Zhitao was an adult, and an adult had to take responsibility for her choices. Fortunately, life was long, and she would still have chances to course-correct.

“Are you saying Grace is wary of me?” Shang Zhitao asked him.

Luan Nian handed her a mixed cocktail. “Try it.” That served as his answer.

Shang Zhitao took a sip. It was sweet and sour, strikingly similar to the taste of the wild strawberries that used to grow in front of her childhood courtyard house, quite delicious. Smacking her lips lightly, she asked him, “What is this drink called?”

“Out of Control.”

Luan Nian leaned over the bar counter, his lips pressing against hers, the tip of his tongue licking the corners of her mouth before entwining with hers. Shang Zhitao shrank her head back, but his hand stopped her, cupping the back of her head as he complained, “What are you dodging for? Let me taste the drink I made.”

Why was it called Out of Control? Probably because the drink was so sweet, sour, and palatable that it made one drop their guard, sipping it again and again until overindulgence became inevitable. Luan Nian’s tongue entangled with hers, and catching sight of figures passing by outside, he realized the bar staff were returning from their run.

Luan Nian released her and smacked his lips as well. “As expected, top-tier.”

It was hard to tell whether he was praising the cocktail or praising her.

At that moment, Luke was playing by himself near the front of the bar, while Shang Zhitao sat outside the bar counter, her face still flushed. Luan Nian stood inside the counter, mixing drinks for her. His bartending was purely an amateur hobby for his own enjoyment, not for public sale. The drinks he mixed for Shang Zhitao were crafted according to his mood, without any set pattern. There was only one rule: he mixed a small amount each time so she could finish it in one gulp and sample multiple varieties without getting drunk.

The bar manager hadn't changed; it was still the same person. Shang Zhitao was curious about what kind of salary Luan Nian offered him, considering that changing jobs was a common occurrence in this industry. Furthermore, his bar manager was a rare, exceptionally handsome man.

Luan Nian merely gave a light laugh, saying nothing.

Shang Zhitao’s phone rang, and she heard Lumi’s somewhat agitated voice: “Holy shit! Shang Zhitao! Guess what!”

“Huh?” Shang Zhitao was a bit dazed. “What happened to you?” Seeing Luan Nian walk outside, she stepped away. Her phone calls with Lumi always contained content that couldn't be overheard by others, as did their chat logs. Shang Zhitao sometimes thought that if she ever lost her phone and her chat logs with Lumi were leaked online, they would definitely go wildly viral. The two of them truly had zero taboos and talked about absolutely everything.

Realizing she was overly excited, Lumi took a long, deep breath. “Come on, let Big Sister tell you what happened.”

“What happened?”

“Yesterday, I almost slept with Will.”

…

Shang Zhitao listened as Lumi pieced the story together fragment by fragment until a complete picture emerged.

On weekends, Lumi often went out to eat with her extended family, picking an old restaurant in the city and dining for an entire afternoon. If the spring weather was nice, after eating, they would head into the hutongs to inspect their family’s old properties and reminisce about the hard times of the past.

On that day, they had gone out to eat at an old authentic Halal restaurant. They pushed tables together, and the whole family gathered around. Just as the roasted lamb and sauteed sliced lamb with egg and wood ear mushrooms were served, Lumi heard someone speaking at the entrance: “Table for two.” That voice was all too familiar; the man scolded her like a grandson every single day. Craning her neck to look, sure enough, it was that divine figure, accompanied by a well-bred lady who looked like she was on a date with him, though the two appeared distant. Lumi pulled her neck back and didn't dare raise her head for the next half of the meal, terrified of getting caught red-handed.

Her grandmother was displeased by her odd behavior and scolded her loudly: “Lu Mi’er! Why are you acting like a withered eggplant! Where’s the spirit and vigor of our Lu family!” Grandma’s voice was as loud as a brass bell, making half the restaurant turn their heads to look. By the time Lumi wanted to cover her grandmother’s mouth, it was already too late. Will’s gaze had already swept over.

As luck would have it, the person Will was dining with happened to be his ex-wife. Initially, the two were discussing his ex-wife’s job. His ex-wife worked in a research lab, and when Lumi stole a glance upward, she saw a woman who was truly dignified and elegant. However, the two weren't having a pleasant meal, and Lumi occasionally overheard Will saying to his ex-wife, “Don’t slander me.”

Now she had done it—Lumi had witnessed Will’s vulnerable side, and she suddenly felt that her days at Lingmei were numbered. Offering a sycophantic smile toward Will, she said to her grandmother, “Grandma, let’s go quickly. Your hutongs are waiting for your inspection.” Saying that, she supported her grandmother by the arm and walked outside, wanting to make a run for it.

Leaving the door, before she even walked twenty meters, someone grabbed her by the collar. Just as she was about to curse, she turned around and saw Will, immediately shutting her mouth. She was genuinely afraid of him.

“What are you dodging for?” Will nodded at her grandmother, then asked Lumi as he let go of her collar. Will was quite odd himself; usually an old-fashioned man, he just couldn't keep his temper in check whenever he saw Lumi, repeatedly grabbing her by the collar as if wanting to toss her out.

“I... wasn’t I just trying not to pry into your privacy...” Having eavesdropped for most of the meal, Lumi had practically cut off her ears to place them on his table, making her sound a bit lacking in confidence as she spoke now.

Her grandmother on the side refused to be ignored: “You know each other?”

“He’s my boss.”

“Hello, Grandma.” Stern as Will was, he showed respect toward Lumi’s grandmother; his upbringing was evident.

“Hello, Boss, hello.” Grandma kept her hands behind her back, nodding at Will before following her descendants to inspect the hutongs. That left Lumi standing there, not knowing what to say, forced to explain: “I accept whatever criticism you give me normally, but there’s one thing—today’s encounter wasn’t something I wanted! How was I supposed to know I’d run into you at a family gathering? Besides, as for divorce, how big of a deal is it anyway? Once you’re divorced, you just find someone new.”

“Are you out of your mind?” Will could never tolerate people blabbering nonsense all day long. Not a single word Lumi spoke was serious, giving him a throbbing headache just listening to her. “Who told you I was divorced?”

“Not divorced?”

“...Divorced.”

“Then that’s that! Hurry back to accompany your ex-wife. If you can remarry her, wouldn’t that save you the trouble of finding someone new?” Leaving behind those words, Lumi bolted.

Running a few steps, she turned around and saw Will standing by the curb, clearly in a foul mood. I hope the big guy doesn't go jumping off the Second Ring Road overpass, she thought. So she bought a dozen beers, ran back, popped one open for herself, and handed one to Will.

The two of them sat there chugging four cans of beer on an empty stomach. The more Lumi drank, the hungrier she got, until she finally suggested: “How about this? Sitting here drinking beer non-stop isn’t the way to go. We need some bar snacks to go with it, don’t you think?”

“Mm.”

“Then how about you come to my place, and I’ll stir-fry a couple of dishes for you?” Lumi was a crafty girl. They say to make a friend, you have to offer your heart. If she cooked a couple of dishes for Will, the two of them could be considered friends from then on, and the next time he chewed her out, he might think twice about whether he was being too harsh.

Will unexpectedly didn't refuse. He didn't think anything would happen between him and Lumi. Having received a traditional family education since childhood with parents who were senior intellectuals, he found women like Lumi hardest to accept—acting recklessly, speaking vulgarly, and going to work every day like she was running with a street gang, exuding a sense of unbridled wildness.

A divorced, single man who had always conducted himself with absolute propriety had ended up getting mud slung at him in the end. Looking at Lumi’s family, they were eight out of ten chance nouveau riche. Naturally, Lumi wouldn't have any inappropriate feelings toward him either.

He followed Lumi to her home. Her place was in a good location, around ninety square meters. According to Lumi’s boasts at the company: “She owns several apartments like this one.” She had laid bare all her private affairs without holding back.

Will took off his trench coat, and looking around, there wasn't a single place to sit in Lumi’s home. Her clothes were piled high on the sofa, and the very top item was an ultrathin piece of underwear. Her aesthetic taste was bold and unrestrained; that underwear didn't look like it could cover much anyway.

Noticing his gaze drifting over, Lumi hurriedly gathered her clothes into her arms. “Sorry to embarrass myself, sorry! Usually no one comes over, and even my mom is too lazy to visit, complaining my apartment is too small for her to take a walk.” Showing off her wealth again.

Once Will was settled, she went to stir-fry dishes. Lumi’s cooking was decent enough; throwing things together haphazardly, whatever came out was at least edible. Four hot dishes, along with half a sheep’s face, four-treasure delicacies, chicken sausage, and pickled green beans bought from Daoxiangcun, made up eight dishes in total. As she arranged the plates, she flattered Will: “State guest treatment! Anyone else and I’d make them chew on pickled vegetables. But I can’t help it—you’re a big shot, distinguished and noble, so I have to entertain you properly.”

Her words were too dense, sentence after sentence of empty chatter, making Will’s temples throb with pain.

As the two drank, Will sat bolt upright like an old, conservative scholar, while Lumi rested her leg up on a chair, even urging Will: “Don’t be formal, don’t be formal, treat it like your own home. If you get hot from drinking, take off your clothes. If you’re shy, I’ll take mine off too and keep you company.”

Not a single phrase she uttered was proper.

Rarely did Will refrain from scolding her today, drinking his troubles away while listening to her improper babble. Whenever he used to return home, his house was spotless; both he and his ex-wife were neat freaks, and his ex-wife loved keeping flowers, birds, fish, and insects, filling the house with those things. He himself lacked romantic sentiment, but he studied well, had a sharp mind, and stumbled into managing marketing. Because he was an upright person, he managed the marketing work in an orderly fashion. When Luan Nian poached him, he had just gotten divorced and felt a change of environment would be good to start fresh. Yet on his very first day of work, standing in the corner of the elevator, he heard a woman talking in a slurred, street-smart tone, full of Beijing slang: “Let me put it this way, there’s no male boss I can’t handle. At worst, this lady will just sleep with him once.” Everyone in the elevator laughed, and another girl stopped her: “Stop talking nonsense. You make it sound like it’s real.” The woman who claimed she would sleep with her male boss was Lumi, and the girl stopping her was Shang Zhitao.

Whenever those two were at the company, they seemed glued together, frequently putting their heads together to whisper obscene nonsense.

Because of that initial impression, Will concluded that this woman was easygoing and casual. Seeing her slacking off every day, he couldn't tolerate having such a subordinate in his department, seizing every opportunity to scold her.

On an afternoon like this, listening to Lumi talk actually went well with the alcohol, and he gradually grew somewhat drunk.

When Will got drunk, his face turned red like Guan Yu’s, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Being someone with low body fat, a green vein bulged on his arm. Coupled with the time when he had taken on two guys single-handedly to save Lumi downstairs at the office building—making her feel he was a real man—looking at his handsome features today, her lustful desires were aroused.

She moved her chair next to his to drink, her hand casually resting on his leg to pat it like a brother. In her heart, however, she was calculating: firm muscles, good material—should I sleep with him or not? I should! An internal battle raged in her mind: why not just take care of him today? Taking care of him would satisfy her, and she could endure fewer scoldings in the future, making her slacking-off life more comfortable.

Her subtle movements were seen by Will, who found them novel: how could this girl be so simple-minded? Will was curious to see what tricks she could pull, so he sat still. Lumi thought to herself: tsk tsk, men. Propping her hands on the table and chair, she leaned forward close to his face, the tip of her tongue sweeping across the corner of his lips. “Will, are you hot? How about we take off our clothes to cool down?”

Taking the opportunity, she sat on his lap, unable to part with that handsome mouth of his, and couldn't help but take a bite. Her teeth bit into his lip, making Will feel a touch of pain. Tilting his head back to dodge her attack, he said to her, “You take yours off first.”

Will’s words sounded a bit like an invitation for her to lead by example. What did Lumi have to fear? She slipped off her thin top, revealing a skin-colored camisole underneath. Having consumed alcohol, her skin was coated in a faint flush of pink, looking quite lovely. Cupping his face with her hands—damn, why was it so hot?—her fingertips twitched, and she lowered her head to kiss him. He remained completely motionless, yet before anything even happened, she had already ignited herself.

This man was really great. Her hand traced down the contours of his chest, probing toward his package—a big one. Marvelling inwardly, she coaxed him further: “How about letting your big brother out for a walk?”

Will had shared good times with his ex-wife, but both of them were people of few words. He had never seen anyone so chatty during intimate moments. Unable to hold it in, he broke character with a sudden snort of laughter. Scooping Lumi up and tossing her onto the sofa, he said to her, “How much better would it be if you spoke less? The more you speak, the more mistakes you make. Stop crooked schemes too—do you think sleeping with your boss means you don't have to work? The company isn't owned by me. You’re so simple-minded, you wouldn't even know when you’re taking a loss, would you?”

Will vented all the frustration he felt toward his ex-wife onto Lumi today: “Furthermore, your figure isn't good enough, so wear more clothes when you go out in the future. If you have assets to show, I can understand, but what are you exposing when you lack them? Exposing your own shortcomings?”

He put on his trench coat while scolding her: “Thanks for the hospitality. The last dish served was mediocre—lacking in color, aroma, and taste.”

Fuck.

It was the first time Lumi had heard Will speak so many words, every single sentence thoroughly scathing, yet she wasn't angry in the slightest. This man was pretty hilarious. He was probably not up to the task.

She asked Shang Zhitao: “Do you think he’s capable or not?”

“Whether he’s capable or not has nothing to do with you.”

“How can it have nothing to do with me? He got my craving started!”

“You’d better behave yourself, or he might cite you for workplace sexual harassment.”

“I’m not afraid. You just wait, Shang Zhitao. This lady will definitely sleep with him. Next year when you apply to become an Expert, I’ll make him give you full marks across the board. It won't be a waste of our friendship.”

Lumi hung up the phone with a mischievous giggle. Shang Zhitao looked at the screen, realizing the two of them had chatted for an hour. Slipping the phone into her pocket, she walked inside and heard Luan Nian say, “What do you two have to chat about? As if chatting at the company wasn't enough!”

Shang Zhitao couldn't tell him that Lumi wanted to sleep with Will, so she pretended not to hear, sitting on the floor to brush Luke’s fur.

For reasons unknown, Luke was extraordinarily happy at Luan Nian’s place, running around even more than before. Furthermore, he listened to Luan Nian; whenever Luan Nian called him, he came running. Eight out of ten chance it was because Luan Nian won him over with food.

“When I go to the Northwest, can you take care of Luke?”

The corners of Luan Nian’s mouth curled up, and after a moment he tossed out a sentence: “How I take care of him is none of your business.”

Shang Zhitao set conditions for him: “You can’t order fresh meat dog food, he can’t eat too many snacks, don’t spoil him...” She went on and on with a bunch of nagging, until Luan Nian finally couldn't help saying, “How about not boarding him here then?”

“No.”

On a Sunday afternoon, Luan Nian newly recovered from a mild illness, the fragrant green mountains, a carefree Luke, and them chatting idly.

A moment later, several cars drove up to the front, and a group of young men and women stepped out. Shang Zhitao said, “You have guests. I’ll go to the back.”

“Are you unfit to be seen by people?”

“...” She remained sitting in front of the bar counter, only halfway through the drink in front of her.

Shang Zhitao heard someone calling, “Teacher Gong.” Turning her head around, she saw Gong Yue. Standing beside her was a respectable-looking man who was currently shaking hands with Luan Nian. Luan Nian called to Shang Zhitao: “Shang Zhitao, come here.”

She hopped off the high stool and walked over, listening as Luan Nian introduced her: “My girlfriend, Shang Zhitao.”

The three words "my girlfriend" startled her. Thinking she had misheard, she looked at Luan Nian, but he pulled her by the wrist: “This is Teacher Gong Yue.”

“Hello, Teacher Gong.” Shang Zhitao stood bolt upright; as someone who had been afraid of teachers since childhood, she felt a natural sense of reverence toward Gong Yue. Gong Yue looked at her intently, smiled, and said to Shang Zhitao, “This is my boyfriend, Teacher Sun Lin.”

“Hello, Teacher Sun.”

“Then we’ll go ahead and set up the book club.” Gong Yue nodded to Luan Nian and walked off with her boyfriend.

Shang Zhitao was minded to trace back those three words, "my girlfriend," but Luan Nian had already stepped ahead to the bar counter, even calling to her: “Aren’t you coming over, girlfriend?”

Gong Yue asked Tan Mian: “Did you know Luan Nian is in a relationship?”

“Didn’t know.”

“Her name is Shang Zhitao.”

“Don’t know her.”

Tan Mian wasn't particularly close with Gong Yue, so naturally he wouldn't say too much. Luan Nian had mentioned to him that Gong Yue brought students over every week, likely feeling pressurized and finding someone as a brush-off, without taking it to heart. Nor did he plan to ask Luan Nian about it.

“Help serve the drinks, girlfriend.” Luan Nian pushed the cocktail prepared by the bartender toward her. Hearing those three words made Shang Zhitao feel extremely strange inside, unable to put the feeling into words, so she just stared at him.

Luan Nian didn't even raise his head, dropping a single line: “Didn’t you say you wanted to take a risk together?”