The Early Spring - Chapter 124

Chapter 124 - Settlement

As the night grew late and silent, every word of truth became easier to hear, and every genuine heart could be seen clearly.

Shang Zhitao wept alone beneath her covers. Outside, heavy snow weighed down the barren branches—another winter had arrived. She wiped away her tears, yet they kept flowing. She had thought she rarely cried these past few years, yet she had broken down in front of Luan Nian several times in a row.

Luan Nian's words from earlier poured heavily into her ears and filled her heart. She was finally willing to admit that back then, they really had loved each other. It was just that both of them had been too broken—one trapped inside a humble shell, the other armored in impenetrable steel.

When she first returned to Harbin, everything had spiraled completely out of control. She didn't know how long it had taken her to get everything back on track. Yet Luan Nian's words had shattered the delicate balance she had worked so hard to build. Luan Nian was always like this; as long as he appeared, he would force you to shatter something.

Thirsty in the middle of the night, she went out to boil water. As the kettle began to hum, she heard the door to the guest room open—Luan Nian wasn't sleeping either.

The two of them locked eyes in the faint glow of the nightlight before Shang Zhitao finally looked away.

She didn't even know how any of it happened.

It felt as if she had merely blinked, and Luan Nian was already in front of her, trapping her against the kitchen counter to kiss her.

The tip of his tongue burned against her skin as his teeth grazed her neck, asking in a raspy voice, "Does it hurt?"

"A little," Shang Zhitao turned her head to seek his lips, using the gesture to escape the overwhelming wave of passion his kiss brought her.

"Endure it." Luan Nian told her to endure it as the tip of his tongue licked the skin behind her ear. He scooped her up in one swift motion, carrying her into her bedroom and tossing her onto the bed. The mattress sank and rebounded, and Luan Nian was already pressing down upon her.

Shang Zhitao heard his heavy panting, her body tensing instantly. Looking deep into his eyes in the gloom, she saw a fire burning within them, like a wild beast.

"Where are the condoms, Shang Zhitao?" Luan Nian asked her.

"There aren't any."

..."Fuck!"

Luan Nian cursed under his breath. Shang Zhitao's body pressed tightly against him, heaving with her breathing.

Shang Zhitao felt an empty ache inside.

When she was alone, she didn't feel anything. Sometimes she was so busy that the moment she collapsed onto the bed, she fell straight to sleep; on hard nights, she would get up and go for a run.

But today, Luan Nian had stirred her up, leaving her suspended in midair. A pool of tears gathered in her eyes, sad and full of grievance.

The sight made Luan Nian's heart tighten. Rare for him in bed, he lowered his stance, resting his lips against hers: "Is it hard to stop now?"

Shang Zhitao stayed silent, her tongue lightly brushing his lips, leaving it unclear whether she wanted him to stop or continue.

Luan Nian suddenly chuckled. He bit the tip of her nose, then meandered down her jawline and neck. The stubble on his face scraped against Shang Zhitao's skin, leaving a rough, prickling sensation.

Shang Zhitao let out a soft moan, her head tilting back slightly as her hands threaded into his hair.

The sound of Luan Nian swallowing sliced through the quiet night. Shang Zhitao couldn't open her eyes for the longest time, feeling as if her body no longer belonged to her—it had turned into a heirloom piece being stroked in Luan Nian's hands, a piece of hard candy melting in his mouth, the heirloom polished to a smooth sheen, the candy held until it made his mouth water. It was simply incredible.

When Luan Nian left her room, he looked slightly disheveled. She had asked him if he wanted to stay and sleep, but his tone was far from pleasant: "And not sleep a wink?" Without any protection, holding her while unable to do anything was no different from torture.

They each processed their remaining emotions, giving each other space without further disruption, enduring the rest of the night.

When they opened their eyes the next morning, both were exhausted. When they met in the living room, Luan Nian pinched her cheek and kissed her forehead. Shang Zhitao pulled her head back, only to hear him threaten: "Try dodging again and see what happens."

Shang Zhitao truly stood there not daring to move, letting him kiss her forehead, then the tip of her nose, and finally lightly tapping her lips: "Osmanthus milk? Egg rolls? Seared steak?"

"Anything works. What are you doing today?"

"I have to catch a noon flight to leave. A few board members arrived in Beijing last night, and there's a dinner tonight."

Shang Zhitao nodded: "Oh, I see. Safe travels."

"Are you chasing me away?"

"I'm not." Shang Zhitao ran into the bathroom and shut the door. By the time she came out, Luan Nian had already prepared breakfast. Seeing that Shang Zhitao was lingering and hesitant to come over, he said, "Come here."

He had turned back into his true self—demanding everything be done his way—yet many things had changed. For instance, when Shang Zhitao sat down at the dining table, Luan Nian pinched her cheek: "Are you married to the bathroom?"

...

"What were you doing in the bathroom? Contemplating life?"

"Can the bathroom bring you clients?"

"Have you never slept with me before?"

He was complaining that she took too long.

Shang Zhitao pursed her lips, drinking her milk while staring at Luan Nian.

"What are you looking at?" Luan Nian asked her. "Do you still want to talk some more?"

"Do you mean talking like we started yesterday, or talking like we did last night?" Shang Zhitao asked him. Her bite yesterday hadn't been light; the corner of Luan Nian's lip was split.

"Either way is fine." Luan Nian's eyes swept over her collar, raising an eyebrow. Shang Zhitao followed his gaze and noticed the collar of her loungewear was gaping open. She hurriedly clutched it shut: "Where are you looking!"

"So, I think repeating yesterday's sequence for another talk sounds just fine."

...

Unable to out-hooligan Luan Nian, Shang Zhitao began playing shameless: "I like talking to younger guys." Saying this, she recklessly pulled out her phone, found a few photos, and flipped through them for Luan Nian to see: "Isn't a younger guy like this nice?"

"Very nice. Go find one." After finishing his meal, Luan Nian went to change his clothes to head to the airport, with Luke wagging his tail behind him. Luan Nian squatted down to say goodbye to the dog: "I'll be back in a couple of days."

He stood back up and said to Shang Zhitao, "Come over here."

"No."

"Come here." He reached out and pulled Shang Zhitao to stand in front of him: "You don't need to be afraid of me. I won't eat you alive. If you aren't willing, I won't do a thing."

Shang Zhitao knew Luan Nian was talking nonsense. The moment she gave him a single look, he would take the opportunity to devour her completely. He was just that kind of old fox, and Shang Zhitao knew it crystal clear.

Luan Nian continued, "Also, don't go liking younger guys. Younger guys are the best at lying."

Shang Zhitao burst out laughing, breaking her composure.

"So, what's our relationship now?" Luan Nian asked her.

"Good friends."

"Fine, good friends." Luan Nian pinched her cheek. He had always liked pinching her face, squeezing her mouth into an 'O' shape. He lowered his head, his lips about to touch hers, but stopped himself: "Good friends can't kiss." Turning around, he walked out.

After his meeting, Luan Nian drove straight to Dr. Liang and his father's old apartment in the city.

The older generation also liked making friends, keeping the same circle for a lifetime—working together, buying homes together. Back then, they used to say that when they grew old, they would find a place to live together. Who would have thought they would all end up back in Beijing in the end?

The elders had good investment foresight; this neighborhood built in the late '80s was right next to the best school district, surrounded by comprehensive amenities and extremely convenient transport. Dr. Liang and his father lived very comfortably here. Luan Nian came over to visit them twice a week, taking them to stay at his villa on weekends if he was around. But for nearly a year now, except when Harbin was under lockdown or Beijing restricted travel out of the city, Luan Nian ran off to Harbin every weekend with immense enthusiasm, looking very much like he intended to settle down there.

Stepping through the door, he caught the scent of cooked food. His father was studying a piece of calligraphy.

Luan Nian walked over, glanced at it, and said, "Chen Kuannian came by?" Chen Kuannian dabbled in collectibles and import-export trade. Over the past year or so, import-export hadn't been doing so well, so he threw himself wholeheartedly into flipping collectibles. He had set his sights on all the famous calligraphy and paintings the elders had cherished and kept over the years.

His father grunted: "You youngsters think you can pull a fast one on us with your little tricks? He came, and I chased him off. His dad said that if he comes again, don't even let him through the door."

"Prices are good right now." Luan Nian still owed Chen Kuannian a favor, so at this moment, he acted a bit like an unfilial son, wanting to hand over his father's collection to Chen Kuannian on a silver platter.

His father raised a hand as if to hit him, but Luan Nian pretended not to see it.

During the meal, Dr. Liang noticed the split at the corner of Luan Nian's lip and asked, "What happened to your lip? Craving meat?"

"A dog bit it." Luan Nian suddenly recalled Shang Zhitao's soft moan and felt those board members had chosen a terrible time to arrive—otherwise, he could have heard her moan a few more times today.

Luan Nian was offensive by nature. Romance could be taken slowly, but he had to take care of Shang Zhitao right away.

"What kind of dog bites like that?" Dr. Liang leaned in closer for a look, clicking her tongue.

Uncharacteristically, Luan Nian blushed, turning his head to evade Dr. Liang's gaze.

Dr. Liang chuckled: "Does this mean I can call Shang Zhitao now?"

"No."

"When can I?" Dr. Liang asked him.

"I don't know."

After the family of three finished eating, Luan Nian drank tea with his father, pulling out his phone to see if Shang Zhitao had messaged him. Sure enough, she hadn't.

She hadn't sent a message, yet she had posted a selfie on her Moments. Her collar was slightly open, her slender neck leading down to the fair skin of her chest, with the lighting hitting just right to cast a shadow across her bosom.

Luan Nian suddenly felt a surge of annoyance—what kind of terrible photo was this to post!!

Just as he was about to lose his temper with Shang Zhitao, he realized something wasn't right. He asked in a group chat: "Send me a screenshot of Shang Zhitao's Moments."

Everyone was confused about what he meant, but they sent him a screenshot—the photo wasn't there. Luan Nian smiled. Shang Zhitao was getting clever, learning to pull off surprising tactical moves.

Luan Nian opened a shopping app, placed an order for a box of condoms, and sent a screenshot to Shang Zhitao: "Put them next to your bed where you can reach them just by extending your hand."

"Return to sender."

"Kicking away the ladder after getting what you want?"

Shang Zhitao sent back a meme that read: "Our friendship is pure and innocent."

Luan Nian didn't reply. He didn't like wasting words; what was there to say? They would talk when they met, or better yet, say nothing at all when they met—a waste of time.

Luan Nian felt he had turned into a total scoundrel.

In all his years of living, he had never felt this restless. His mind was filled entirely with Shang Zhitao; every extra day he had to wait felt like it would be the death of him.

On Thursday, he bumped into Lumi in the elevator. Her eyes landed on him, swept over him once, and quickly darted away, looking as if she had stumbled upon some deep cosmic secret.

Luan Nian went for the kill, asking her, "I heard Will is getting back together with his ex?"

Lumi glared at him, but he pretended not to notice.

"Whether Will gets remarried or not, I don't know, but I'm getting married. As you know, I have nothing to my name except a few lousy apartments. Finding someone who also has a few lousy apartments is just right. It's called a match of equal standing." Before stepping out of the elevator, she said to Luan Nian, "Oh right, you probably don't know yet, right? Taotao likes younger guys."

"For real." Lumi added fearlessly, "Old Shang and Big Zhai don't have many requirements for Taotao's partner—just one: he can't be more than three years older than Taotao."

Lumi was really something, instantly hitting Luan Nian right where it hurt. She wasn't afraid at all, striding away in her knee-high boots.

Luan Nian walked behind her, watching the feisty energy radiating from her, and snorted internally.

What the fuck kind of younger guys!

Having lunch with a client at noon, he saw Song Ying was also there.

Song Ying had built up her résumé at Lingmei before ultimately joining her father's company. Luan Nian had caught wind that the national anti-corruption drive was about to target them. But Luan Nian remained impassive; it had nothing to do with him. He only cared about when the final payment would clear.

During the meal, Song Ying sat next to Luan Nian. Everyone could read her father's intention to play matchmaker, so naturally, a few jokes were made about them being a handsome couple.

Luan Nian turned his wine glass upside down, refusing to drink any more.

Everyone knew Luan Nian's temper, and Song Ying's father knew it too. He let out a laugh: "Don't mind the kids' affairs. Has the final payment gone through processing?" he asked Song Ying.

"It's in progress."

"That's good."

Once Luan Nian turned his glass upside down, he didn't take another sip. He wasn't worried that Song Ying wouldn't pay; coming today was merely a matter of business etiquette. It was best if the final payment cleared early—once an investigation into them began, trying to collect the debt would become difficult.

After enduring such a fake, polite meal, he asked Song Ying at the end, "How many days until the final payment arrives?"

"About three days. Finance has already submitted the payment request."

"Alright, thanks for your hard work." Luan Nian gave her a faint smile.

"Luan Nian, let me say a few words to you." Song Ying suddenly called out to him.

"What is it?" Luan Nian looked at her.

"I'm very grateful for the care you gave me during the two years I worked at Lingmei, and I'm thankful that you taught me so much. But what I want to say most is that my feelings for you aren't just an employee's respect for a boss. There's something more."

"And then?"

"I know about you and Flora. I accidentally saw your chat box on Flora's computer. But Flora has been gone for several years now. I want to ask you, can we see each other in a different kind of relationship?"

In truth, Luan Nian's memory of Song Ying's overall appearance and personality was entirely vague. But he remembered her talent.

At twenty-two, she was brimming with talent—a rare talent indeed. That was why he had been willing to give her plenty of opportunities, believing she could succeed. But Luan Nian disliked people who were overly eager for quick success.

All great works required fine polishing, and human nature was no different. Human nature that was worth examining and savoring was what attracted people most. Song Ying knew how to polish her work, but she hadn't polished her own character. That was a great pity.

"We can't." Luan Nian maintained his usual composure, showing no awkwardness over this sudden confession. He had experienced this too many times and rejected too many people, handling it with ease: "Since you saw my chat box with Flora, you'd probably want to ask whether I would have chosen you if Flora hadn't existed. The answer is no. With Flora, I was the one who initiated things first. With you, I have no intention of initiating anything." Luan Nian shrugged: "I'm not interested."

Song Ying was so proud; she had been the princess held in the palm of her parents' hands since childhood, striving to be first in everything. She had demanded her father arrange for her to enter Lingmei solely to work alongside Luan Nian. On the first day, when Luan Nian introduced her to the team, he had been casual with everyone else—except when it came to Shang Zhitao, telling her to seek guidance and learn from Shang Zhitao.

When they went to work on the project in the Northwest, the twenty minutes that Luan Nian and Shang Zhitao's car ran late had made her heart panic.

Song Ying wanted to win.

Shang Zhitao was so ordinary; she wasn't willing to lose to her.

She felt she had simply used her resources and talent to win against an ordinary person as she rightly should, never realizing that every ordinary person who worked hard deserved respect.

"Thank you for being willing to tell me all this, Luke. I don't know when we'll see each other next time, but if possible, I still hope to have the chance to work with you again. I was very happy." After saying this, she extended her hand toward Luan Nian, but Luan Nian kept his hands in his pockets without pulling them out. He wasn't someone who felt obligated to be polite.

Getting into his car, Luan Nian made an anonymous report: "I want to report someone who may be involved in moving vast amounts of assets overseas."

Luan Nian was never a truly good person, nor was he a truly bad one. Song Ying's words had been subtle, but as clever as Luan Nian was, he caught the hidden meaning behind them.

Luan Nian held grudges, but he was never in a rush for results. If he couldn't settle it now, he would settle it sooner or later. At the end of the day, he still wanted to be a good citizen.

When Friday came, he flew to Harbin.

Stepping through the door, Luke ran up to greet him.

Shang Zhitao was home early for once, having already taken a shower and preparing to apply a sheet mask. Hearing the electronic lock click open, her hand paused, her breath catching slightly.

She suddenly regretted wearing that camisole nightdress. Just as she wanted to close the door and change, Luan Nian's arm reached in to block her movement. Immediately after, he stepped inside.

"Luan Nian, let's talk." Shang Zhitao put on a robe and took a step back toward the bed.

"Mhm, let's talk."

Luan Nian lowered his head to unbutton his shirt. His movements weren't fast, yet they carried a murderous aura.

"Let's put on proper clothes and talk properly."

"Mhm."

Luan Nian grunted in response, yet tossed his shirt onto a wooden chair. The muscle groups across his body shifted with his movements. It was as if those muscles knew how good they looked and refused to get out of Shang Zhitao's line of sight.

"Put your clothes on."

"I am."

Luan Nian unbuckled his belt with a snap, tossing it onto the floor as well.

Shang Zhitao watched him nervously.

Years ago at his place, during their first time, Luan Nian had looked at her with an unreadable gaze, both of them so impatient they hadn't even taken off their clothes. Shang Zhitao had been nervous then too, but not like this.

"Let's talk then."

Pulling her in front of him with one hand, he slid the robe off her arms down to her elbows, his gaze landing on the front of her nightdress—the front that tried to hide what was obvious.

"Luan Nian."

"Mhm."

Luan Nian casually turned off the light, placing his fingertips on her collarbone, moving outward toward the thin shoulder strap. Pressing his palm against her, he rested it between her strap and her skin. His palm, calloused from years of weightlifting, rested against her shoulder.

It felt like a slow execution.

The man who had been desperately impatient earlier suddenly stopped rushing. The night was long, extending right into the weekend—what was he in a rush for? He was going to take things nice and slow.