The Early Spring - Chapter 127
Chapter 127 - Illumination
Luan Nian drove over to pick up the two intoxicated women.
On the way to drop Sun Yu off at her home, the two slurred their words, jabbering away about goodness knows what, yet somehow they seemed to understand each other.
Which was honestly pretty odd.
Getting this completely plastered over just a tiny bit of booze—they really were something else.
With a stern face, he escorted Sun Yu upstairs. Sun Yu had later bought an apartment near the Third Ring Road, where she lived by herself. Luan Nian took her finger to press against the fingerprint lock, brought her inside to her bed, poured a glass of water for her, and then called Lumi: "Your good friend Sun Yu is drunk."
Lumi cursed over the line, and after Luan Nian heard the sound of her zipping up her down jacket, he hung up the phone.
Lumi arrived in twenty minutes flat. By the time she showed up, Shang Zhitao was pressing her face against the car window; she had drunk too much and felt overheated.
Lumi opened the car door, looked at her, and clicked her tongue: "Look at you." She stole a glance at Luan Nian, whose face was dark, thinking to herself that Shang Zhitao was in for a wild ride tonight. She turned and ran upstairs.
Luan Nian drove Shang Zhitao home, but sitting in the passenger seat, she was being anything but well-behaved. Genuinely annoyed now, Luan Nian reached out with one hand to press her back against the seat: "Keep making a scene and I'll throw you out!"
Shang Zhitao froze for a second before suddenly breaking into tears: "You're so mean! Why are you being so mean? Can't you just talk nicely?"
...
Fuck.
"Stop crying." After a short moment, Luan Nian's tone softened slightly: "Didn't I get cross with you only because you were throwing a tantrum?" He tried reasoning with a drunk person, but drunk people didn't reason at all.
"No! You just never know how to speak nicely!"
With snot and tears streaming down her face, Shang Zhitao cried the entire way to Luan Nian's house.
Luan Nian had never imagined that in his lifetime he would have to coax a drunk person out of a car like this. Shang Zhitao sat crying inside the vehicle, while Luan Nian stood outside the car door, leaning down to carry her: "Don't... why are you holding me? I'm not even familiar with you."
"Can't I walk by myself? Why do I need you to hold me?"
"You need to apologize to me."
"Apologize for what?"
"You were swearing at me just now."
"I didn't swear at you."
Shang Zhitao let out another loud wail, leaning against the seat as her tears fell in pairs and snot trickled out. Luan Nian truly felt like strangling her: "Don't push your luck, Shang Zhitao! Push it any further and you can sleep in the car by yourself!"
"This is what men are like... once you're drunk they don't care about you, they lose their patience... and they even yell..." Shang Zhitao continued her whiny sobbing.
Her crying gave Luan Nian a massive headache. After a long stalemate, he finally bent his knees and crouched down on the ground: "Fine, I shouldn't have raised my voice at you. I apologize."
"Then compliment me."
...Luan Nian thought to himself: If I ever let you touch another drop of alcohol, I'll take your last name. "Compliment you on what?"
"Compliment my looks."
Luan Nian couldn't hold it in and let out a chuckle: "Alright, you're extremely pretty."
"And smart," Shang Zhitao added.
"Right, and smart."
"And very talented."
"Mm, very talented."
It took Luan Nian a massive effort to get Shang Zhitao out of the car. Carrying her upstairs, she fell asleep after just a few steps. Placing her on the bed, he undressed her, wrung out a wet towel to wipe her face, and fed her water; by the time he finished fussing over her, it was late into the night. Freshly bathed and squeaky clean, Luke sat at the head of the bed watching them, a look of slight perplexity on its face: What happened to Mom? Why does Mom look a bit off?
"Your mom has gone crazy today."
Luan Nian lay back on the bed, picked up his bedside book, flipped to the page he had been reading, and took out the wish list to take a look. This list served as his bookmark, reminding him which page he was on while also reminding him of the kind of life aspirations a certain girl once held. Setting the list gently on the nightstand, he read a few pages. Shang Zhitao rolled over and threw her leg across his. Before she could swing her leg to kick him, Luan Nian locked her down with his own: "Can't even stay still when you're drunk!"
In the dead of night, Shang Zhitao turned over, clasped Luan Nian's hand, and murmured indistinctly, "We all miss you very much," her voice tinged with a bit of sorrow.
Luan Nian squinted at her in the darkness. He couldn't see clearly, but brushing his fingertips against the corner of her eye, he found it damp; she had dreamed a dream that made her sad.
Many people loved to use the phrase "time moves on and things change," a phrase often followed by "places remain, but people are gone."
Luan Nian knew who the "we" Shang Zhitao mentioned referred to, and he also knew who the "you" referred to. They had never talked about it after reuniting, but when Luan Nian opened a book on the book wall in Shang Zhitao's home and saw the reading notes inside, he knew whose handwriting it was.
After such a chaotic night, Luan Nian woke up the next morning with a case of morning crankiness. Shang Zhitao came downstairs to look for him. Seeing him on the treadmill, she trotted over and smiled at him.
"Did you sleep well?" she asked him.
Luan Nian glanced at her without saying a word, continuing his run.
"Are you in a bad mood?" Shang Zhitao asked again.
He still ignored her, keeping up his pace until he finished running before saying to her, "Do you know what your alcohol tolerance is like right now?"
"My alcohol tolerance is actually pretty good now."
"How much did you drink yesterday?"
"I don't remember."
Luan Nian pulled out his phone, opened a video, and handed it to her: "See for yourself."
Shang Zhitao saw a version of herself that was a complete, messy disaster—tears and snot smeared across her face, not even allowing Luan Nian to touch her. She accused Luan Nian of not being gentle enough and scolded him for not speaking nicely.
Shang Zhitao was amused by her own behavior: "I won't drink anymore, I won't drink anymore." She explained, "I only drink like this with Sun Yu."
"Not with Fu Dong?"
"Not with Lumi?"
"Not with He Yun or Shang Zhishu?"
Luan Nian fired off a string of questions, his displeasure blatantly obvious. It wasn't just because Shang Zhitao had acted like a belligerent drunk with him, but also because of what she had said in her sleep.
"I just drank a bit too much yesterday; I wasn't like this before." Shang Zhitao gave him an apologetic smile: "Is taking care of a drunk person really exhausting?"
"No."
"But you look exhausted."
Luan Nian stopped talking and went upstairs to take a shower. Shang Zhitao followed right behind him: "Is it because I snored or kicked after drinking too much, so you couldn't sleep well?"
"No, you talk in your sleep."
Luan Nian undressed while looking at her: "The most annoying thing about you when you're drunk is that you talk in your sleep."
"What did I say?"
"You said..." Luan Nian paused for a moment: "You said you love me very much." A mischievous smirk broke across his face as he shut the door.
While he was taking a shower, Shang Zhitao listened from outside. Imagining what he looked like showering, she simply cracked the door open a sliver and poked her head in.
Luan Nian stood under the showerhead. Water trickled down his hair onto his face, with a single droplet hanging from the tip of his nose, taking quite a while to fall before running down his shoulders, his chest, and his V-line.
Shang Zhitao was utterly mesmerized. Swallowing her saliva, she inwardly berated herself for being a pervert.
Under her shameless gaze, Luan Nian grew aroused. Seeing her stand there frozen, he said to her, "Either come in or get the hell out."
Shang Zhitao naturally wanted to go in, but her body was currently inconvenient. She let out a small laugh: "My bad," and heard Luan Nian swear right as she closed the door.
In a fantastic mood, she sat on the bed waiting for the "handsome man emerging from his bath," even pondering to herself: There are so many good-looking men on short video platforms, but not many have the same charm as Luan Nian. So if she ever went bankrupt again, could she film Luan Nian to make money?
When Luan Nian came out, Shang Zhitao asked him, "What are we doing today?"
"Catching up on sleep."
Luan Nian offered a flat reply as he lay down on the bed. Seeing that Shang Zhitao wasn't moving, he pulled her down next to him: "Sleep for a bit first."
"And then?"
"And then I made plans to meet up with a few friends tonight. Want to come along?"
"I made plans to go shopping with Lumi tonight."
"Alright."
Shang Zhitao really had made plans to go shopping with Lumi. Since coming to Beijing was a rare treat, she had set up the date long before arriving. In the evening, Luan Nian dropped her off at the location where she and Lumi were shopping, then went off to his own gathering alone.
Tonight's gathering had been put together by Tan Mian this morning. Hearing that Shang Zhitao was in Beijing, he had specifically urged Luan Nian to bring her along. When he walked in, everyone else had already arrived. Lin Chuner stood up and ran to the door. Seeing no one behind him, she asked, "Where is she?"
"She had something else to do."
"If we'd known Shang Zhitao wasn't coming with you, Xiaomei and I wouldn't have come either."
"She made plans with a friend," Luan Nian said.
Neither Lin Chuner nor Xiaomei liked attending men's gatherings. It was only because Song Qiuhan and the others had said tonight was different—that the highly anticipated Miss Shang Zhitao was in Beijing for meetings and they could all catch up—that they had agreed to come.
Luan Nian didn't say anything.
He barely spoke throughout the meal. Shang Zhitao didn't seem like other girlfriends who had a strong urge to share every detail with their boyfriends. She was out shopping and hadn't sent a single message to Luan Nian.
Lin Chuner quietly snapped a photo of Luan Nian and sent it to Shang Zhitao: "Miss Shang Zhitao, your boyfriend looks thoroughly miserable."
Shang Zhitao, who was accompanying Lumi while she tried on clothes, laughed upon seeing the message: "What's wrong with him?"
"Probably jealous because everyone else has a girlfriend or wife chatting with them?"
Lin Chuner was such a smart woman; one look at Luan Nian's expression and she knew why he was unhappy. It was because he wanted to introduce his girlfriend to his friends, but she hadn't come. Men could be complex at times, yet remarkably simple at others.
Lumi came out from trying on clothes, saw Shang Zhitao replying to messages, and asked, "What's up?"
"Nothing."
Shang Zhitao mentioned how Luan Nian had invited her to have dinner with his friends; she hadn't thought too deeply about it.
Lumi went to pay, then turned to say to her: "Shang Zhitao, you should have gone today."
"Why? I haven't seen you in so long."
Lumi slung an arm around her shoulder: "Are you stupid? The stubborn mule wanted to introduce you to his friends, so why didn't you go?"
"Let me tell you something, Shang Zhitao: don't go wavering while you're in a relationship. You've never been that kind of person, so don't go making things uncomfortable for yourself. You're in the wrong today—you should have blown me off, dressed up pretty, and gone to meet his friends. Why shouldn't you? Are you embarrassed to be seen? If you don't go stamp your seal of approval, someone else will be happy to step up! With Luke's kind of demeanor, even if he's around forty, there are plenty of people who'd want to sleep with him. You need to permeate his life, understand? Infiltrate every single corner of his world."
"And then?"
"And then make it so he can't stop thinking about you for a single second."
"Like how?"
"For example, build a good relationship with his friends so they bring you up all the time; put your things in his house so he thinks of you whether he's eating or taking a dump; give him underwear so he thinks of you every time he pulls his pants down..." Lumi fired off one point after another, making Shang Zhitao double over with laughter.
"Did you take a relationship training course?" Shang Zhitao asked Lumi.
"Did the stubborn mule train you in roasting people?" Lumi retorted, then gave her a gentle push: "Go on, Shang Zhitao. Be decisive, just like you used to be."
Lumi was a smart person too; she could see the underlying issue between Shang Zhitao and Luan Nian, which was that Shang Zhitao wasn't as resolute as she used to be. Or rather, her resoluteness was no longer written clearly, brightly, and blatantly on her face the way it had been in her twenties.
Shang Zhitao secretly texted Lin Chuner: "Chuner, where are you guys?"
Lin Chuner sent over a location pin.
She hailed a cab and headed over.
By the time she arrived, it was nearly nine o'clock. She sent Luan Nian a message: "Hello, can I join your gathering now?"
"?"
"Can you come out to pick me up?"
Luan Nian felt as though his gloom of the past few hours was suddenly flooded with light, breaking into an instant smile. The others looked at him, puzzled: "?"
He stood up and walked out of the restaurant, seeing Shang Zhitao standing there: "Weren't you going shopping?"
"I was, but I also wanted to have dinner with my boyfriend's friends."
"It's all just leftovers now."
"That doesn't matter."
"What matters then?"
"Being with you matters."
Shang Zhitao didn't constantly spew sweet words, but the occasional ones she spoke came straight from the heart. Nor was Luan Nian someone who listened to sweet talk from just anyone, but he fell completely for Shang Zhitao's charm.
"Let's go." He walked inside, suddenly grabbing Shang Zhitao's hand right before stepping through the door.
Shang Zhitao's heart skipped a beat, her face instantly flushing red.
"What are you blushing for? Am I not allowed to hold your hand?" Luan Nian asked knowingly, tightening his grip on her hand as he brought her inside.
Lin Chuner loved making a scene the most, taking the lead in hooting and making noise.
Everyone in the restaurant looked over at them, and Shang Zhitao's palm broke out in a fine sweat. Over the years, she had accomplished her own small feats—traveling alone, hosting press conferences in three languages, and managing projects worth hundreds of millions. She had met all kinds of people, from high-level provincial officials to ordinary street vendors. Yet she had never been this nervous.
Even her fingertips felt a little cold.
Luan Nian pulled her over to stand by the table. Having been silent for half the meal, he suddenly radiated a brilliant glow: "Let me formally introduce everyone: this is my girlfriend, Shang Zhitao."
"Hello, everyone." Shang Zhitao's face turned red, feeling as if she were back in her early twenties—inexperienced in the ways of the world, pure and clean.
Lin Chuner stood up to give her a hug: "Hello, netizen."
"Hello, charity director," Shang Zhitao replied with great formality.
Xiaomei embraced her as well: "Hello, learning genius fluent in three languages."
"Hello, archaeology expert."
Tan Mian shook her hand: "I feel like I've seen you somewhere before."
"That year, when you and Luan Nian sang 'I Hate Myself For Loving You' at our company's anniversary celebration, I was below the stage maintaining order. The female colleagues were going crazy."
Lin Chuner pointed at their clasped hands: "So can Luan Nian let go now?"
"No."
Luan Nian refused, pulling out a chair for Shang Zhitao to sit down right beside him.
For a long time, Luan Nian had disliked attending gatherings where partners were invited. Song Qiuhan was always clinging to Lin Chuner, giving her a flower or refusing to let her show her waist; Chen Kuannian frequently bantered and played around with Xiaomei. In such settings, he would often feel a wave of melancholy, recalling that girl who always wanted to slip away whenever his phone rang.
Love required permeation.
Like sunlight seeping through the gap in the curtains, gradually filling the entire room.
Permeate into each other's lives just like this—sharing each other's friends, thoughts, and hobbies; traveling across rivers and mountains together, while also managing their quiet, everyday life together well.
In the past, Luan Nian didn't understand and disdained to do these things, but time had taught him all of it.
He felt he could do even better.
Starting from today.