Shang Zhitao sent the meeting minutes to Luan Nian, then messaged him: “Hello Luke, the meeting minutes have been sent to your inbox, please check.”

Ten minutes later, Luan Nian replied: “What were you doing earlier?” Luan Nian’s meaning was clear—if you knew you needed to notify me after sending the minutes, why didn’t you confirm yesterday after sending them?

“It was too late yesterday, I was afraid of disturbing your rest.”

“Good work habits have nothing to do with time of day.”

“Thank you for your guidance, I’ll remember that.”

Luan Nian frowned slightly, tossed his phone aside, and continued confirming other work with Grace.

“We’re going with the client to a factory in Shunde this evening to follow up on the client’s products and civilian spokespersons. Once we clarify the basic information, we can provide the first draft of creative ideas.” Grace explained her work: “But the client’s schedule is tight, and once we arrive, I’ll need an assistant. Can Lumi come with us? I’ve worked with her several times before. She’s bold and can handle the clients well.”

“Fine. Take Flora along too,” Luan Nian added.

“Great. We all like her. She’s always smiling and very capable.” Shang Zhitao had approached Grace twice; she was humble and easy to communicate with. Grace found talking with her effortless.

She’s capable?

Luan Nian glanced at Grace but said nothing more.

“So we’ll set off at four in the afternoon. Luke won’t be joining us?”

“I won’t go, I have something to do.”

Luan Nian stayed at the hotel to handle work, but went out in the evening. He rarely had opportunities to visit Guangzhou, where he had a special friend. At Gangding, there was a small dance studio. When Luan Nian arrived, the children were still in class. He stood at the entrance watching for a while. Zang Yao was still the same as before, her hair tied in a neat bun at the back of her head, revealing her smooth forehead. When she saw Luan Nian standing at the door during a spin, the corners of her mouth turned up, incredibly beautiful.

A pleasure to behold.

If you asked Luan Nian who he thought was the most beautiful woman, his friends would answer for him: Zang Yao! Is that even a question?

Luan Nian waited patiently at the entrance, watching Zang Yao dance.

He didn’t have many friends—only Tan Mian in China, plus two good friends in America whom he saw a few times each year. Besides these people, there was only Zang Yao. They had known each other for ten years. From eighteen to twenty-eight, they had traversed quite a long stretch of life together.

Tan Mian once asked him: “Nothing ever happened between you and Zang Yao?”

Luan Nian would never answer this question. There was always something missing between him and Zang Yao. As for what that was, he couldn’t say clearly.

Zang Yao came out from the classroom, smiling as she approached him: “Why so early? I need to shower and change.”

“No rush, go ahead.”

Zang Yao stepped closer to Luan Nian, smiling brightly: “You look well. It seems this breakup, once again, hasn’t caused you fatal damage.”

“So nosy.” Luan Nian tapped her head: “Go on, we’ll have a drink later.”

“Okay, wait for me.” Zang Yao turned and ran, her ballet skirt fluttering beautifully.

Zang Yao took Luan Nian to eat rooftop barbecue near the studio. The two sat on the roof, feeling Guangzhou’s humid evening breeze.

“I’m thinking of setting off for the next place,” Zang Yao said to Luan Nian while gnawing on an oyster.

“Where’s the next place?”

“I’m thinking maybe Guiyang. Guangzhou is too hot. Guiyang is cool—refreshing Guiyang.” Zang Yao raised a finger as she lifted her beer mug: “But doesn’t Guiyang have fewer of your company’s clients?”

“Two.”

“So you can still come see me?”

“Yes.”

Zang Yao put down her glass and tapped her fingertip on the back of Luan Nian’s hand: “Why did you break up again?”

“Boring.”

“You find women boring?”

“No, intimate relationships are boring.”

“So you’ll just stay single? Not address your physical needs?”

Luan Nian shrugged: “Don’t know.”

Luan Nian hated constraints. He couldn’t understand why women, once they started dating, always wanted to restrict you—what time you come home, who you’re with, whether you’re replying to other women’s messages. While walking, he asked Zang Yao: “Would you care which females are in your boyfriend’s contact list?”

“Why would I care? He should be the one worried about me.” Zang Yao looked incredulous: “Only insecure women want to constrain men. Confident women have men chasing after them.” After saying this, she seemed lost in thought, then said to Luan Nian: “You hate being restricted, perhaps because you don’t love enough.”

“Is the psychological consultation starting?” Luan Nian asked her.

“No, I wouldn’t dare.” Zang Yao swept her long hair to one side, revealing her pretty neck, laughing: “There’s nothing wrong with your psychology. Your fundamental problem is that you’re too arrogant.”

“I’m arrogant?”

“Aren’t you? Didn’t you once say that most of your colleagues are idiots?”

“I take that back. I said that because I hadn’t encountered truly stupid people yet.”

…Shang Zhitao sneezed.

“I thought you took it back because you recognized your issues. So tell me, isn’t your mouth particularly vicious?”

“If telling the truth counts as vicious, then I admit it.”

Zang Yao couldn’t argue with him: “When are you going back?”

“Friday night.”

“Then would you like to have dinner with my boyfriend tomorrow?”

“No, I don’t have time anymore.”

“Why don’t you like my boyfriend?”

“Should I?”

Zang Yao’s boyfriend was a somewhat sickly-looking guitarist. Luan Nian didn’t much care for that type of person, not because he disliked his demeanor, but simply because he didn’t like how skinny he was, looking like a telephone pole, yet speaking so radically.

“If you don’t like him, so be it. Anyway, I’m about to go to Guiyang.”

“He’s not going with you?”

“He’s not. Wealthy old Guangzhou people can’t leave their clay pot porridge and herbal tea.”

“Aren’t you also a wealthy Boston girl? Why wander around?”

“Too much money to spend…” Zang Yao said lightly, as if showing off, yet with a hint of melancholy. Luan Nian understood her sadness and comforted her softly: “Don’t be like that.”

“Okay.”

Zang Yao sighed deeply, leaning against the railing by the river, gazing into the distance. She wanted to ask Luan Nian if she could go to Beijing instead of Guiyang. Beijing wasn’t so hot either, and he was there. But she didn’t dare ask.

She felt that their current relationship was probably the best it could be—neither stepping forward nor backward would work. She had also thought about taking Luan Nian, drinking a lot of alcohol until they were both drunk, taking off their clothes and doing everything that should be done, perhaps breaking this strange impasse.

But they were the same kind of people.

People who refused to yield in male-female relationships.

“So, are you interested in any women lately?”

“No.”

“Then what are you interested in lately?”

“Work.”

“Liar.” Zang Yao laughed softly.

“?” Luan Nian looked at her.

Zang Yao shook her head: “Never mind, it’s none of my business.” She ran a few steps: “Want to walk me home?”

“Sure.”

They walked from the Pearl River toward Zang Yao’s home. Occasionally there were two or three Black men standing on the roadside. “Try not to go out alone at night,” Luan Nian advised her.

“I’m quite a homebody, you know.” Passing a small puddle, Zang Yao held onto Luan Nian’s sleeve as she jumped over it, saying casually: “If we’re both still unmarried by thirty, why don’t we just settle for each other?”

“I don’t settle.”

In Luan Nian’s mind, settling for marriage was very sad. He would rather not marry than settle. He silently walked Zang Yao to her door, refusing to go upstairs: “Go up, see you next time.”

“I might come see you too.”

“Welcome.”

Zang Yao stepped forward, slipping her hands through Luan Nian’s arms to his back, patting gently: “I’ll miss you.”

“Take care.”

Luan Nian watched until Zang Yao went upstairs, then took out his phone to see several missed calls from Shang Zhitao.

“What’s the matter?”

“Luke, I’m sorry. Grace left some documents in your room. The courier can’t wait, so she asked me to come back and get them to take to Shunde first thing tomorrow.”

“Wait for me at the hotel.”

Luan Nian hung up and saw a message from Grace, sincerely apologizing. She knew Luan Nian had little tolerance for such basic mistakes.

“Be careful next time.”

Luan Nian got out of the car and saw Shang Zhitao standing at the hotel entrance, waiting for him, standing straight like a student who had made a mistake waiting for the teacher’s criticism. Luan Nian didn’t speak, just walked past her. Shang Zhitao silently followed him and entered the elevator. The feeling was strange—she was just going to get documents, not sleep with him, so why was she nervous?

But she was nervous.

A single man and woman, riding an elevator together late at night, going to one of their rooms—the story already sounded ambiguous. Shang Zhitao’s young mind couldn’t help wandering. Would this help a woman rise quickly in the company?

Following Luan Nian out of the elevator, she automatically stopped at his room door, waiting outside. Luan Nian went in and searched for a long time, but couldn’t find the documents Grace mentioned. He called from inside the room: “Come in.”

“Huh? That’s not appropriate.” In Shang Zhitao’s mind, the rest of the story played out—a story that couldn’t be told to others, just a fleeting thought, but one that was rich, fragrant, and extremely sensual.

Are you sick! Luan Nian felt a surge of irritation, walked to the door in a few steps, grabbed Shang Zhitao’s wrist and pulled her inside: “Go find it!” He ignored her soft exclamation, then stood at the doorway.

Shang Zhitao’s wrist burned from his palm. She glared at him: I have a temper too! But Luan Nian didn’t see that look—he was facing the corridor, the picture of a proper gentleman.

Men, most men are useless when it comes to finding things. Even Luan Nian was no exception. Shang Zhitao went in and found the document in the compartment of Luan Nian’s laptop bag in less than three minutes. She walked out, noticing Luan Nian’s clothes hanging in the closet. He did have good taste.

“Found it, Luke. Sorry to disturb you so late.”

“What were you thinking just now?”

“What?”

“Just now, standing here, what were you thinking?”