Shang Zhitao poured all her energy into this annual meeting.

Lingmei’s annual meeting was the highlight of the corporate culture each year, with awards, lucky draws, performances, and important decisions announced. As the project manager, Shang Zhitao requested Lu Mi from the marketing department to help her. This was her desire. She wanted her final working moments at Lingmei to be spent with the person she liked most.

It felt like returning to the beginning, to the days when Lu Mi took Shang Zhitao to event venues. The two of them refined the proposal for two days, then got Josh, Will, and Tracy to approve it. With no issues, they entered the preparation stage.

They collected from company employees their favorite personal photos from their lives. No one knew what these would be used for, but they happily submitted them. They also edited many clips from the company’s resource library of them playing together years ago, which was very interesting.

On rehearsal day, Luan Nian, who had been away on a long business trip, finally returned. He brought his luggage to the venue and saw the event company busy with setup. Shang Zhitao was holding a pre-rehearsal meeting with the performers. Luan Nian sat in the last row, watching Shang Zhitao.

They hadn’t spoken for a very, very long time.

Sometimes when they met at the company, Shang Zhitao’s gaze never moved to his face. Once or twice, when Luan Nian wanted to say a word or two to her, he would remember what she had said:

Dirty, ugly, disgusting relationship.

I never considered you my boyfriend.

The Shang Zhitao now had shed her twenty-two-year-old naivety, yet remained clean and pure. Her posture as she stood there was straight and solemn, as was always her way.

How strange that in 2016, there was still someone who stood like this.

During the executive performance segment, Shang Zhitao invited the department heads to the front stage and carefully explained the program designed for them. Luan Nian stood across from her, closer to her now, and saw her dark circles—she must have stayed up many nights for the annual meeting.

Shang Zhitao handed out pre-printed program scripts to them: “Please cooperate, bosses. This year’s program for everyone is a retro disco. We’ve specially invited dance teachers who will teach all the bosses shortly. The moves aren’t difficult, but they look great.” It was Lu Mi’s silly idea; she said she wanted to see Will and the stubborn donkey shake their butts, which should be quite sexy.

“Then why not arrange for them to do a striptease?” Shang Zhitao teased her.

“That won’t work, Will still has my bite marks on him!” Lu Mi winked at Shang Zhitao.

“Why did you bite him?”

“He provoked me.”

Lu Mi would never let herself be wronged. This wealthy demolition lady, with relatives whose tongues were even sharper than hers—who would dare provoke her, except Will?

The bosses looked at each other, all showing some resistance. Tracy, as the only female boss, was excited: “I’ll dance, I’ll dance! I was a disco queen back in the day.”

Others looked at Luan Nian, hoping he would refuse. Poetry recitation or piano playing would be better—simply put, with higher positions, people were less willing to lower themselves.

But Luan Nian nodded: “Let’s follow the director’s arrangement.”

Lu Mi whistled and pointed to the costumes nearby: “These are the costumes for all the bosses, ordered in advance and cleaned. They were rented according to the sizes you provided for the company t-shirts.”

Glittering clothes.

Luan Nian had always known that when Shang Zhitao was with Lu Mi, things would go off track.

While others practiced dancing, Luan Nian sat playing with his phone. No one dared follow his example, so they practiced earnestly. When it came time to rehearse the group dance, everyone stood in their positions. The spotlight shone down, the clothes sparkled—it couldn’t be cooler, more retro, more Lingmei.

Luan Nian hadn’t practiced but remembered the moves, dancing better than others. Will was rigid and wouldn’t shake his hips. Lu Mi held up a megaphone and shouted at him: “Boss Will, you need to shake it! You’re falling behind!”

“You’re shaking too slowly!”

“Make the movements bigger!”

Shang Zhitao stood by, trying not to laugh. Her gaze finally swept past Luan Nian, suddenly remembering the first year when she was an usher, standing below the stage watching him perform rock music with his friends. Lu Mi had told her: “With a man like that, you can sleep with him, but never fall in love with him.”

On the actual day of the annual meeting, the bosses’ performance indeed drove everyone wild.

When the spotlight hit, everyone below started clapping and cheering. The music began—a remixed version of “Stupid Love.”

Luan Nian was still confident and arrogant, still driving people crazy. Shang Zhitao stood beside the stage and saw Song Ying’s gaze from the second table—the same way she had once looked at Luan Nian. This time, Shang Zhitao felt that all of this had nothing to do with her anymore.

The feeling of being detached was wonderful.

The Lingmei New Year’s party at the end of 2016 was a retro party. All the program designs were extremely sophisticated and creative, interesting and vivid. People asked: “Who’s the director this year? It’s too amazing!”

“Flora, of course! Who else could it be?”

After the seventh program finished, Shang Zhitao went backstage. She also had a performance—the last one of the evening—for which she had invited several workplace friends to perform with her.

The last time she sang in public was probably eight years ago. Time truly waits for no one.

She stood on the elevator platform, slowly emerging onto the stage. She too had a spotlight, a very soft light. Behind her was the pre-edited video, beginning with laughter from their team building in Phuket years ago, as well as laughter edited from many years of company activities. You could even distinguish whose laughter it was.

The stage quieted down, and Shang Zhitao sang the first line: “That burst of laughter reminds me of all my flowers~”

Luan Nian finally raised his head and saw Shang Zhitao on stage—a Shang Zhitao he had never seen before. How strange that in their six years together, he never knew she could sing so beautifully.

Everyone was looking at Shang Zhitao. Before, they thought Flora was such an ordinary but hardworking person. Today, they finally understood that everyone has their shining moment. Shang Zhitao was so beautiful, standing there in a simple white dress without any accessories, clean like dewdrops on lotus leaves in the morning, like gentle ripples on a lake in early spring.

Her voice was clear too.

The images behind her were even more moving.

Everyone saw each other’s most cherished photos. Shang Zhitao’s was from Christmas 2010, with her, Sun Yuanzhu, and Sun Yu standing in the snow. Time was fragrant and rich, taking away much but also leaving much behind.

As the singing gradually faded, another video played, compiled from about five or six years ago—their deep conversations in various settings, emotional moments, tears shed several times.

Lu Mi stood on a table, raising her light board, shouting loudly: “Shang Zhitao, I love you!”

Everyone started calling for Shang Zhitao.

Lingmei’s people were used to calling English names, but on this day, they were collectively shouting a Chinese name. No matter how insincere someone might be normally, no matter whose family was wealthy or had a strong background, at this moment, everyone understood who they truly liked.

It was that Shang Zhitao who was always upright, kind, helpful, and generous in the workplace; that Shang Zhitao who always kept her promises and was the most reliable; that Shang Zhitao who was always genuinely happy for others’ progress and gains; that Shang Zhitao who dared to stand up under pressure against sexual harassment.

For six years, Shang Zhitao had used her humility and tenacity to complete her life’s transformation—a transformation that could belong to any ordinary person.

Luan Nian suddenly felt his eyes grow hot and lowered his head.

On that day, after all performances ended, in the backstage changing room, Luan Nian encountered Shang Zhitao, who had just changed clothes. They stood several meters apart, looking at each other.

Their eyes met, both seeming to have much to say.

Shang Zhitao merely wanted to say goodbye, but in the end didn’t speak.

“Shang Zhitao, I need to fly urgently to America tomorrow. When I return, can we talk properly?” He finally spoke, the first words exchanged between them alone since that day.

Shang Zhitao nodded: “Okay.”

“You sang very well,” Luan Nian added.

“Thank you.”

“Flora, group photo!” Lu Mi was calling her. Shang Zhitao looked back and said to Luan Nian: “It’s time for the group photo.”

“Okay.”

The two walked toward the stage where everyone was already waiting. Shang Zhitao picked up the megaphone and organized everyone into formation for the photo. When everyone was in position, Lu Mi asked: “Where will you stand?”

“Anywhere is fine.”

“That won’t do! The director stands in the middle! Next to Luke!” said Shelly, who had come from afar. So a space was quickly made for Shang Zhitao beside Luan Nian. She put down the megaphone, stood in that position, hands behind her back, one fist’s distance from Luan Nian.

The photographer called out: “One, two, three, cheese!”

Everyone said “cheese,” quite formally.

“Is this still Lingmei? Lingmei people need to get hyped up!” The photographer was unsatisfied. Everyone burst out laughing, releasing their true nature, striking all kinds of poses. Only Luan Nian and Shang Zhitao stood straight there, smiling slightly, completing this group photo.

And so it ended.

After the festivities dispersed, Shang Zhitao and Lu Mi collapsed in their seats at the venue, looking at each other, both feeling the emptiness after the party.

“Shall we have a drink?” Lu Mi asked her.

“Sure, let’s invite Sun Yu too.”

The three women drank together, all drinking quite a lot that day. Deep into the drinking, they hugged and cried. No one knew what they were crying about. It seemed women who drink too much particularly like to cry. If they don’t cry, it proves they haven’t drunk too much.

Sun Yu pinched Shang Zhitao’s face: “You must take good care of yourself.”

“You too.”

Lu Mi wiped away her tears and cried: “Damn! I hate goodbyes the most.”

“What a coincidence, me too.”

Shang Zhitao’s last working day at Lingmei arrived. Her resignation approval had been completed, with only Josh’s approval remaining. Coincidentally, because she hadn’t been promoted to expert, the approval process was released at Josh’s level.

That day, Lingmei organized a flea market, saying they wanted to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new. Shang Zhitao brought the bags Luan Nian had given her, transporting them in Lu Mi’s car.

Lu Mi had never known Shang Zhitao owned so many luxury items, fourteen brand new bags: “You’re a rich person! Shang Zhitao, you never told me you were so wealthy!”

Shang Zhitao smiled: “It’s a long story. Let’s not talk about it!”

Shang Zhitao unwrapped the gifts from Luan Nian for the first time, so many bags. Luan Nian had great taste; he hadn’t bought any common styles. The bags he chose for her were all beautiful.

“Holy shit!” Lu Mi stood beside her and asked: “How much are you planning to sell them for?”

“I don’t know. Can you help me set the prices?”

“You could sell them at 97% of retail.”

“Then 97% it is. Help me put price tags on them.”

Lu Mi was particularly knowledgeable about bags, knowing all the prices, and moved quickly with her pen. Shang Zhitao stopped her hand: “Wait a moment.”

“What?”

“Which one do you like? I want to give it to you.”

“They’re too expensive.”

“Half price. As you can see, I have money.”

Lu Mi smiled and pointed to the most expensive one: “This one. Even though I own several properties, I couldn’t bring myself to buy this.”

“How much is it?”

“Just under 200,000.”

Shang Zhitao nodded. Luan Nian was willing to spend money. She was generous too: “I’ll sell it to you for half price.”

“That won’t work. No matter how close we are as friends, I can’t take advantage of you for 100,000 yuan. Sell it to me for half price, and I’ll give you two of my old bags in return. I don’t want to use them anymore anyway.”

Lu Mi made Shang Zhitao laugh: “Deal.”

She also sold one at half price to Tracy. Tracy refused, but Shang Zhitao insisted. She told Tracy, “Tracy, I love you. It’s just a bag, I even want to give it to you as a gift.”

“No,” Tracy hugged her, “Flora, no matter which company you go to, no matter where you are, I hope you understand that you are exceptionally talented, the most outstanding employee I’ve ever seen. Don’t believe anyone who slanders you, just believe in yourself.”

“Okay,” Shang Zhitao’s eyes turned red: “Thank you.”

People in the company were shocked. They had never imagined that Shang Zhitao, who never wore luxury items, would have so many high-end luxury goods. They secretly discussed her background. Shang Zhitao remained calm, and when it was time to leave work, she walked out with her bag without saying goodbye to anyone.

The day she left Beijing, Beijing also had a snowfall. Luke had already been driven back to Ice City by a friend the day before.

She dragged her suitcase to the door, taking one last look at the house she had lived in for six years. This place held her most beautiful and most painful memories. Tears fell without reason. Tomorrow, Sun Yu would also move out, and the story they shared would end here.

“Let’s go,” Sun Yu said to Shang Zhitao.

The car drove to the train station, just like when they first met. That day it was raining, when the newly unemployed Sun Yu welcomed Shang Zhitao, who had just arrived in Beijing, with a smile and took her to visit a market wearing a raincoat.

Passing by that market, Shang Zhitao kept looking back. She seemed to see four people in their twenties walking out with meat and vegetables, laughing and talking—that was them four, so young, so very young.

She said goodbye to Sun Yu and Lu Mi at the train station: “I’ll change my phone number and start a new life. The day I call you will be the first day of my true rebirth. Thank you both.”

The three girls hugged together, all holding back tears.

Lu Mi said: “I’m not going to cry! That would be embarrassing!”

But when the train slowly pulled away from the platform, she suddenly burst into tears.

Shang Zhitao watched through the window as Lu Mi suddenly started crying, and her tears broke free as well. The train made a dull sound as it moved on the tracks, and her heart felt like it had been run over.

Finally, she took out her phone and, with tears flowing, sent Luan Nian a message: “Thank you for your companionship these six years. Wishing you all the best.”

Then she deleted all of Luan Nian’s contact information.

During those years, “escaping from Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou” suddenly became popular online. As her train departed from Beijing, Shang Zhitao thought: This is not an escape, this is a grand retreat.

Because I want to embrace another possibility.

Goodbye, Beijing.