Shang Zhitao had planned to watch the sunrise with Lu Mi, but Lu Mi decided to sleep in at the last minute, so she went alone. She wore a windbreaker, left the hotel, and walked toward the beach.

The empty stretch of beach and the sea still shrouded in darkness instilled an inexplicable fear.

Everyone from the company liked to sleep in. For them, the best travel experience was staying in the hotel, eating and drinking well, going out for a stroll in the evening, and returning only late at night. Shang Zhitao was a bit different—she wanted to see the sunrise.

Walking alone by the sea, she saw Luan Nian out for his morning run. Remembering her loss of composure in his room yesterday, she gave him a perfunctory greeting, then turned to face the sea. Luan Nian finished his run when the horizon had already changed color a bit, so he decided to stop and watch the sunrise, standing three meters away from Shang Zhitao.

He didn’t want to have such an uncontrollable moment again.

Luan Nian didn’t quite understand himself. In the past, he wasn’t a particularly possessive person. His girlfriends could do what they liked and wear what they wanted; he never restricted them or asked them to follow his wishes. But with Shang Zhitao, he had a frightening possessiveness.

He didn’t like himself this way.

The two stood there, their silhouettes looking somewhat distant. Some male colleagues who had also risen early to visit the beach saw their postures and turned in another direction. They felt like the two were having a standoff, and joining in would make them innocent casualties.

Shang Zhitao was grateful to Lingmei and to Luan Nian. She was grateful to Lingmei for allowing her to be in the upper echelon of the industry, quickly opening up society before her eyes. Her efforts and rewards were proportional. She was grateful to Luan Nian because he was always strict, forcing her to grow in his way.

But her feelings for Luan Nian were complex. Half was love, half was admiration and respect. She couldn’t have his equal love, nor could she love him without inferiority. The sunrise was beautiful, and he was standing not far from her, but she didn’t dare take a step toward him. Those three meters would always be the distance between them.

“Luke,” she suddenly called out to him.

“Hmm?” Luan Nian looked at her. The early dawn was just breaking, light waves rippling on the sea’s surface, very much like Shang Zhitao’s gentle gaze at that moment.

“I’m happy to watch the sunrise with you,” Shang Zhitao said, bravely. Her heart was filled with so much love for Luan Nian; if she didn’t say anything, that love would overflow and be lost, which would be such a pity. “Sometimes I wish I could watch the sunrise with you, and also watch the sunset together.”

I guess you’ve figured it out—I love you. Shang Zhitao didn’t say these words aloud. She wasn’t stupid; she could tell whether a man loved her or not. She could only express herself to this extent. One more word, and today would be the end of their relationship. Shang Zhitao loved Luan Nian so much that she lacked the courage to extricate herself. Even if it meant staying by his side in such a humble position, she was still content.

Shang Zhitao turned and ran back to the hotel. When she was with Xin Zhaozhou, she hadn’t actively said “I love you.” Most of the time, it was Xin Zhaozhou who would put his hand under her armpit and fiercely ask: “Do you love me?”

Shang Zhitao would smile and say: “Yes.”

She ran back to her room, climbed onto the bed, and thought again about that bouquet. Shang Zhitao felt she should let herself go. Today it was a travel journal, tomorrow a bouquet, the day after a phone call—going on like this, her pain would be endless. She shouldn’t always be like this; she should have her own life, meet other men, and learn to leave Luan Nian behind.

A male colleague from the department was going surfing. Shang Zhitao and Lu Mi also borrowed surfboards from the hotel, each carrying one and following the male colleague. Shang Zhitao was brave. Once at the seaside, she imitated the others for a few minutes and then rushed into the sea. A big wave flipped her over. She stood up in the water with her hair soaked, grinning at Lu Mi in the sunlight, her white teeth gleaming so brightly it made one dizzy. Lu Mi was frightened and yelled: “My goodness, you are fearless like a newborn calf! Have you ever surfed before?”

“No!” Shang Zhitao burst out laughing. “It’s fun!”

She naturally enjoyed playing. After being flipped by the waves, she experienced the fun and went back to lying on the board to play some more. After a while, a speedboat approached on the sea, with someone standing steadily on a surfboard behind it, arms outstretched for balance, his expression focused and happy.

Lu Mi ran to Shang Zhitao’s side and exclaimed: “Damn, this guy is awesome. How can he be so good at everything?”

Shang Zhitao wasn’t surprised. She knew Luan Nian loved to play and also knew he kept work and life separate. But she still thought Luan Nian standing on the surfboard looked cool. She and Lu Mi sat side by side on the couch. Lu Mi had somehow acquired a pair of binoculars and held them up to watch Luan Nian. After observing for a while, she said to Shang Zhitao: “This guy has really good stamina.”

“Ah…”

“Maybe sister should break through moral constraints and sleep with him once. I’m too curious what he’s like.”

“No, no, no. Your boyfriend is so handsome—dreadlocks, tattoo sleeves, muscular motorcycle guy, so attractive.” Shang Zhitao suddenly felt a bit guilty. She had almost blurted out, “I know, let me tell you.” Lu Mi was so good to her, yet she was keeping this secret. Shang Zhitao felt she was letting Lu Mi down.

Lu Mi laughed heartily: “But I still want to sleep with a refined scoundrel like Luke. How exciting that would be.”

It was indeed exciting.

Shang Zhitao was a bit distracted again. The two sat by the sea, coveting the man riding the waves, and though Shang Zhitao had slept with him so many times, she still found it fresh. After everyone got tired of playing, they changed clothes and agreed to go to Phuket Town for food. They rented four cars, with four people per car. Since Shang Zhitao and Lu Mi were always together, it was decided to pair them with two men. After shuffling around, they ended up with Luan Nian and Jony, the male colleague in charge of brand communication.

The ladies weren’t very good at driving right-hand drive cars, so they obediently sat in the back seats. Jony was anxious to revise his communication draft, so the driving task fell to Luan Nian. Since they were on vacation, they set aside superior-subordinate notions and happily enjoyed the special treatment of having the boss as their driver.

Phuket Island had steep roads, and Luan Nian’s driving was thrilling. Shang Zhitao, however, felt sick, with her heart going up and down. Finally making it to town, they found a parking spot. Jony went to choose a restaurant while the others went for a casual stroll.

Luan Nian rarely wore casual shorts and a T-shirt. He had on a baseball cap, and his skin was slightly reddened from the sun. With hands in his pockets, he followed behind Lu Mi and Shang Zhitao. Girls’ interests were strange—first, they insisted on buying refrigerator magnets and postcards. Luan Nian, following behind them, seemed a bit out of place. What was so good about refrigerator magnets? You could buy them from all over the world online.

When it came time to pay, Lu Mi suddenly smiled at Luan Nian.

Luan Nian clicked his tongue: “You don’t have money?”

They truly opened their empty hands, each wearing just a dress, not even carrying a purse.

“Then stay and work it off!” he said, but tossed his wallet to them. Shang Zhitao felt a bit embarrassed, but Lu Mi thought it was a rare chance to rip off the boss, so she certainly couldn’t go easy. She took out three large Thai baht notes, tossed the wallet to Shang Zhitao, and turned to pay.

Shang Zhitao held Luan Nian’s wallet, feeling it burn in her hands. Luan Nian had given her several bags, but she had never directly spent his money. She reached for the elephant keychain, checked Luan Nian’s expression, and seeing no reaction, moved on to the elephant toy. When she reached for the notebook, she heard Luan Nian say to her: “Freeloading?”

It wasn’t much money, just a few dozen yuan in Chinese currency. Shang Zhitao slowly put the notebook back, and Luan Nian surprisingly smiled: “Pick something nice.”

Lu Mi returned after paying and heard Luan Nian’s words, her eyes widening: “Pick something nice?”

“Otherwise what? Say your boss gave you these shabby things?”

“Then we won’t hold back?”

“Are you pretending to be polite?”

The one who pays is the master—a few snide remarks didn’t matter. Lu Mi wouldn’t take it to heart and was even more comfortable spending Luan Nian’s money than her own. She took the wallet and went on a shopping spree while Shang Zhitao went to choose postcards.

Luan Nian sat across from her, watching her write postcards. She had chosen more than a dozen, and who knows when she would finish writing them all. Luan Nian glanced at the names: the first was to someone named Song Qiuhan, the second to Sun Yuanzhu. So they were to her roommates.

He sat there drinking coffee, also waiting to see which one she would write to him. After writing more than ten cards, she finished without intending to write one for him. His emotional intelligence was low at this point, so he reminded her aloud: “All done?”

“Yes.”

“Didn’t forget anyone?”

Shang Zhitao carefully checked her list and shook her head: “No.”

“What about mine?”

“You want one too?”

“Otherwise what? I spent money and got nothing in return? What are you thinking?”

“Oh.”

Shang Zhitao got up and selected another card, asking Luan Nian: “Is this one okay?”

“Mm.”

Shang Zhitao’s beautiful handwriting finally came in handy. Luan Nian lowered his eyes to watch her write, her penmanship extraordinary, truly beautiful. But she only wrote three words: “Wishing you happiness.” That was it. It seemed perfunctory.

Luan Nian reached out to take it, looked at it, then tossed it on the table: “I’ve received it. No need to mail it, save on postage.” He stood up to go outside and take an international call. Through the window, he saw Shang Zhitao intently sticking stamps. The collar of her dress was crooked, revealing half of her fair shoulder—an unself-conscious beauty.

Luan Nian didn’t like it, but he no longer tried to restrain her. He realized an issue: he had been controlling Shang Zhitao too much, exceeding the boundaries of a bed partner relationship. If this continued, there would be no way to end it properly.

It was already difficult to end properly.

Luan Nian didn’t talk much during dinner. They finally chose a Thai restaurant, which locals said was good at cooking seafood. While Lu Mi and Jony were selecting seafood, Luan Nian received a call from Jiang Lan. He didn’t try to hide from Shang Zhitao, smiling as he engaged with her. Jiang Lan asked if he wanted to experience Thai services, and Luan Nian said his physical strength wasn’t good lately. As he said this, he glanced at Shang Zhitao.

She deliberately turned her face away, but her earlobes reddened.

As if his lack of physical strength was her fault. They hadn’t done anything today, yet she was already feeling guilty.

Luan Nian felt like his heart was being scratched by a cat, unable to find peace. Under the table, he grabbed Shang Zhitao’s wrist. Her hand moved toward his, her nails scratching his palm, and he gripped it firmly. Luan Nian thought: Friday meeting must happen, rain or shine. He couldn’t wait a week, then another week. In the prime of life, only physical entanglement counts; otherwise, it’s all wasted time.

His palm became slightly sweaty. Before Lu Mi and the others returned, he released her hand and also said goodbye to Jiang Lan.

Shang Zhitao couldn’t describe what exactly had happened during this trip, but things between her and Luan Nian had changed.

He was eager and passionate, his hands restraining her, not allowing her to move, making her explode all her passion in his body, not listening to her hoarse pleas, yet abruptly asking: “Was Mount Tai fun?”

“Better than being with me, right?”

Luan Nian was essentially a petty, grudge-holding person. He had worked overtime for three days to see her on Friday, but when he hurriedly rushed back to the company, he saw her with her backpack skipping work. He asked what she was going to do.

She said she was going hiking.

Knowing full well it was Friday, she still resolutely chose to go hiking, without even an explanation.

Just like when she stayed overnight at his place but left early on Saturday morning without saying goodbye, always leaving just a note on the pillow.

Shang Zhitao finally couldn’t take it anymore and bit him hard. Luan Nian groaned and grabbed her face to make her let go, then punished her even more severely, making her exhausted inside and out. Afterward, she curled up in bed, unwilling to move, and was pulled into his arms, falling into a deep sleep.

===

It was only when she returned to work that Shang Zhitao learned what Alex and Luan Nian had been discussing so seriously that day on the beach in Phuket.

Alex was resigning.

Workplace personnel changes were very common, but Shang Zhitao felt a bit lost. She liked Alex a lot and couldn’t understand why he was leaving. So she secretly asked Lu Mi: “Alex was doing so well, why is he resigning?”

“People move upward.”

“Is there a better place?”

Seeing Shang Zhitao’s genuine confusion, Lu Mi gave her a rare serious answer: “Flora, you won’t stay at Lingmei forever either. For Alex, a better place means better benefits and more room for growth. There will be companies willing to pay more to hire him.”

“Then why doesn’t Lingmei keep him?”

“They made a symbolic attempt to retain him in Phuket—Luke talked to him. But there wasn’t a better offer, so Luke’s thinking is clear: Lingmei never lacks people.”

“They have a good relationship.”

“This is the workplace.”

Shang Zhitao was deeply shocked. Alex had been so good to her, always supporting her. She was even anxious—with a new leader, what would her situation be like? During the department meeting after work, Alex officially announced this news and told everyone: “Before the new marketing director arrives, Luke will oversee the marketing department.”

Shang Zhitao heard everyone’s wails.

Getting a new boss meant adapting to a new work style. Luan Nian was like a devil, and everyone fundamentally had some resistance. But they were all professionals—after the wailing was over, they returned to work as usual.

When Shang Zhitao got home that evening, she received a message from Lu Mi: “Alex will probably take two people with him. I heard the salary increase is over 50%, with a one-level position upgrade.”

“Did he approach you?”

“Yes.”

“So you’re leaving too?” Shang Zhitao suddenly felt nervous. Selfishly, she didn’t want Lu Mi to leave. Lu Mi was her first friend in the workplace, and she was genuinely good to Shang Zhitao, heart and soul.

“I’m not going. I don’t need the money. Changing places means adapting to a new environment again. Lingmei is so good—I’m familiar with it, can walk around freely, and everyone accommodates me.”

Shang Zhitao heaved a sigh of relief, then heard Lu Mi say: “Alex approached me, approached Sunny, and there’s one more person he wants to take—that’s you.”

“What?”

“Yes, you heard right. Alex wants to take you with him. If you go with him, you’ll have latched onto a strong supporter. As long as he doesn’t fall, you’ll be fine; if he falls, you’ll start over. If you don’t go with him, you’ll face pressure from the new boss. The new boss will definitely want to arrange his people, and currently, the department’s headcount is full, so naturally, he’ll target existing employees. Whether you’ll be eliminated isn’t certain.”

Alex wanted to take her along—why? She was so ordinary. Shang Zhitao was still young and didn’t understand a boss’s hiring strategy. Not all bosses were like Luan Nian; most were like Alex. They valued employees who were serious, obedient, capable, and loyal. Luan Nian primarily looked at ability. Nothing more.

Shang Zhitao was exactly the type of person most bosses liked.

When Alex called her, she felt a bit flustered and touched. She heard Alex say: “Flora, the marketing department was your first stop at Lingmei, and I was your first boss. In our interactions over the past year and more, I believe you understand my character. I’m going to build a new marketing team in an emerging field, and you can consider whether to come with me.”

Shang Zhitao’s first thought was: Can I do it? I’ve only been out of school for just over a year, haven’t even independently managed any projects. I’m a rookie in the workplace—how can I help you? She was wholeheartedly thinking about Alex’s interests, without any concept of the salary increase. She just wanted to know if she was capable, so she asked directly: “May I ask, why me? I feel I’m too ordinary.”

Alex laughed on the other end of the phone: “Flora, don’t be so self-deprecating. Think about your achievements over the past year—establishing the supplier bidding system, independently completing the first exhibition project, and managing the budget without errors. Why do you think you’re not good enough? Don’t doubt my judgment; you just need to decide whether to come with me.”

Shang Zhitao rarely heard such direct praise. Alex’s words moved her deeply, and there were even tears in her eyes. After hanging up, she remained excited for a long time. When she calmed down, she realized she couldn’t make a decision. She wanted to consult Luan Nian but felt this would be equivalent to betraying Alex, so she resisted the urge.

She resisted, but Luan Nian sent her a message: “If Alex wants to take you with him when he jumps ship, there are only two reasons: you’re cheap and obedient. Think about the rest yourself.”