Shang Zhitao stood below the stage watching Luan Nian speak. This wasn’t the first time, yet Luan Nian still made her feel dizzy. A single person standing on such a large stage didn’t appear thin or insignificant, but rather had an extraordinary presence. He spoke about Ling Mei’s new strategy in China this year: deeply researching local culture, promoting craftsmanship, connecting domestic and international markets, allowing brands to take root locally while also expanding globally.
The creative center, in collaboration with the marketing department, had conducted research and produced a promotional video that was released during his speech, exquisite and culturally rich.
Luan Nian was that kind of person. Working in such an industry, he wasn’t swayed by material desires or mainstream aesthetics, always remaining true to himself. This was his strength, and also his charm.
During the rehearsal, Luan Nian had only been finding his position on stage without saying a word. Today was the first time he presented the content, and Shang Zhitao listened to it in its entirety.
She had barely slept these past few days, all for this final presentation. This event had drained all her recent energy, and now she was hanging on by her last breath. Once the guest speeches ended, everything would be nearly perfect.
“When will the PR release go out?” Lu Mi asked Shang Zhitao.
“The first round of PR will go out uniformly twenty minutes after the official end, the second round after the exclusive interviews, and the third batch of articles tomorrow afternoon.”
“Thorough.” Lu Mi gave Shang Zhitao a thumbs up.
“I had a good teacher.” Shang Zhitao smiled at her, affectionately leaning her head on Lu Mi’s shoulder for a moment.
“Are you tired? If you’re tired, you can go to Xi’an later next week, and I’ll handle things myself.” Lu Mi was somewhat concerned for Shang Zhitao, who worked recklessly. Lu Mi worried she might collapse.
“No need. Xi’an has two sub-venues, and you’ll be too tired alone. I’ll assist you; it won’t be too exhausting.”
“That works too. I’ll treat you to paomo then.”
“Great.”
Luan Nian came off the stage, and Shang Zhitao spoke into her walkie-talkie: “The host is on stage now, the next guest is Ms. Jiang Lan. Usher team, follow up.” She had gone over the meeting procedure countless times; it was all in her head. The timing was accurate to the second, positioning was accurate to the centimeter, and personnel assignments were clear and detailed. When Luan Nian learned she was taking the first stop, he told her: “Only with thorough preparation can you handle unexpected changes at the venue.”
Jiang Lan was beautiful, a strong businesswoman forged through years in the commercial world, completely at ease in such settings. When she began speaking, her first sentence was in Suzhou dialect, saying how good it was to be home.
Lu Mi clicked her tongue and nudged Shang Zhitao with her elbow: “Have you heard?”
“What?”
“This association chairwoman, our Luke secured her.”
“How did he secure her?”
“What do you think?”
The implication was clear—how else would he secure her? A woman like Jiang Lan had seen everything. What would she be interested in? Just some enjoyment.
Shang Zhitao nodded; she understood.
“Really?” she asked Lu Mi.
“Rumors are rumors, but I think Luke does have integrity. He wouldn’t do anything with her, just use some charm.” Lu Mi finished and laughed twice: “Recently, some people have been saying he’s gay.”
“What?”
“There’s a recent rumor that nine out of ten creative men are gay. They say our Luke grew up abroad, works in this industry, and seems refined—he looks like he goes both ways.”
Shang Zhitao burst out laughing, then carefully thought about Luan Nian being gay, and cleared her throat: “We should be serious. You keep making me laugh, and I’ve forgotten the next procedure.”
“Prejudice, prejudice, all industry bias,” Lu Mi continued.
The two giggled together. After Jiang Lan finished speaking, Shang Zhitao saw Luan Nian stand up, applauding and guiding Jiang Lan to her position—attentive service, rare for him to be so accommodating. She looked away to focus on the following procedures, finally enduring until the speech section ended, and she let out a long breath.
“Ushers and guides, please lead the guests to disperse in an orderly manner. There are fifteen negotiation positions on the side for the sales colleagues to use. VIPs should be guided to the VIP hall on the first floor to await the banquet. Luke needs an exclusive interview; I’ll go fetch him.”
After Shang Zhitao finished speaking, she muted her walkie-talkie and walked up to Luan Nian: “Luke, next is your thirty-minute exclusive interview, followed by answering questions from two TV stations, five online media outlets, and ten print media. It will take about fifty minutes in total.”
“Good, thank you.” Then he turned to ask Jiang Lan: “Join me?”
“I haven’t prepared any topics.”
“Aren’t you known for your eloquence?” Luan Nian smiled: “Please.”
Shang Zhitao listened to their small talk, thinking how difficult it must be to be a boss. Even someone as proud and arrogant as Luan Nian had to feign enthusiasm.
Shang Zhitao led them to the interview hall. Since there was a guest adjustment, she notified Lu Mi and then went to handle other matters. After a while, she received a message from Lu Mi: “I can’t stand it anymore!”
“What’s wrong!”
“Jiang Lan is so disgusting. Why does she always stand so close to my stubborn donkey?” Lu Mi called Luan Nian her stubborn donkey; over the past half year, her greatest joy had been watching Luan Nian mess up.
“…”
“After the interview, I’m cutting it all out!” Lu Mi joked.
“No, no, no, spare me. If another level-one incident happens, Luke will fire me directly,” Shang Zhitao pleaded.
With Lu Mi’s message preparing her, Shang Zhitao was mentally ready for the interaction between Luan Nian and Jiang Lan. When leading them to the VIP hall, she saw Jiang Lan smiling gently at Luan Nian, but Shang Zhitao didn’t feel uncomfortable. Instead, she calmly led them to the VIP hall, handed them over to the waitstaff to be seated, and what happened inside was not her concern. Her final task today was to take good care of the bosses in the VIP hall.
Ling Mei was strict; the menu for such banquets was planned. Who had dietary restrictions or allergies, who preferred what, all had been researched through the sales team beforehand. The dishes selected were a fusion of various tastes, focusing on refinement. Since East China’s main battlefield was in Suzhou, squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, cherry pork, and yellow-braised eel were must-have dishes. This hotel was also famous for its delicious banquets. Shang Zhitao had tasted the food in advance; she was confident.
Standing at the VIP hall entrance, she watched as each dish was served. After a while, she received a message from Luan Nian: “Which room is Jiang Lan staying in?”
“Alex said she’s arranged next to yours,” Shang Zhitao replied, not mentioning anything she had heard about them today.
“Arranged next to me?” Luan Nian confirmed with her.
“Yes, said it was convenient.”
“Convenient for what?”
“That I don’t know.”
Shang Zhitao put away her phone, deciding not to respond to Luan Nian’s messages anymore. You ask me what’s convenient about it? Don’t you know in your heart? She took a deep breath and told herself not to mind—whoever minds is a big fool—then continued to monitor the banquet.
Half an hour later, the atmosphere inside livened up, and Shang Zhitao heard piano music. When the waiters were serving dishes, she glanced through the open door and saw Jiang Lan playing the piano, with others listening attentively. Shang Zhitao recalled her childhood experiences; if she had to perform in such a setting, she would probably have to bring out her calligraphy tools.
Luan Nian was watching too.
Luan Nian liked dazzling things, and at this moment, Jiang Lan was dazzling. He appreciated any woman brave enough to display her charm. It made him feel that society was open and progressing.
Shang Zhitao couldn’t finish her glance as the door closed, and she could only vaguely hear the louder phrases of what was being discussed inside. At any rate, it was lively.
She was also speculating about what kind of contracts would be signed today and what consensus would be reached.
Another hour passed, and Shang Zhitao was getting a bit tired from standing. She found a chair to sit down and saw a message from Alex: “Luke is a bit drunk.”
“Luke is drunk? How drunk?”
“Dead drunk.” Shang Zhitao didn’t believe Luan Nian would get drunk. The first time she saw him drink, he had drunk quite a bit but still remembered to ask the doorman to help her hail a taxi. For someone like that, to say he got completely drunk within the first hour—she wouldn’t believe it even if you killed her.
She contacted the hotel sales manager: “Can I borrow two strong male colleagues?”
The hotel acted quickly, sending people immediately. She knocked and entered, seeing everyone scattered around the room, all having drunk plenty, with few looking clear-headed. When Alex saw Shang Zhitao come in, he stood up wobbly and patted her shoulder: “I’m counting on you, Flora.”
“Of course. Shall I take you first?”
“Take Luke.” Alex winked at her, leaving Shang Zhitao a bit dizzy, not understanding what the wink meant. The waitstaff supported Luan Nian out of the VIP hall, running into Lu Mi face-to-face. Lu Mi was a bit surprised: “Luke?”
“Yes!” Shang Zhitao nodded.
“Luke drank this much?”
Shang Zhitao nodded again.
“Holy shit!”
The two of them, along with the waitstaff, escorted Luan Nian back to his room. The waitstaff politely withdrew. Shang Zhitao got a glass of water and placed it by his bedside. As she was getting up, she saw Luan Nian open his eyes, sit up against the headboard, and wink at her.
?
Luan Nian chuckled softly.
Lu Mi’s eyes widened, and she said quietly: “Luke isn’t drunk?”
Luan Nian sat up: “Not interesting, didn’t want to drink anymore. Apollo can handle it. Is there any noodle soup?”
“Yes, I’ll order some for you.” Lu Mi called the hotel to have them send a bowl of noodles. After hanging up, she said, “I’ll go check and get the noodles along the way. They said they’re swamped today because of our event, so delivery is slow. I’ll go pick it up myself. Flora, keep Luke company for now.”
“I’ll go back to the VIP hall.” Shang Zhitao started to walk out, but was stopped by Lu Mi.
“No, we can’t leave drunk people unattended; it doesn’t look right. Keep the door open, stay here, and avoid giving people anything to gossip about.” Then she winked at Shang Zhitao, as if to say, “Are you stupid? Luke dislikes you so much, shouldn’t you take this chance to impress him?”
Shang Zhitao was caught in a dilemma, so she simply followed Lu Mi’s advice, opened the door, and stood there.
“Is it inconvenient for me to be here?” she messaged Luan Nian.
“?”
“In case Chairwoman Jiang comes looking for you later.”
Luan Nian tossed his phone aside and gazed at Shang Zhitao. After a long while, he asked: “The hotel only had one condom, which we used the day before yesterday. Do you want to get a few for me now?”
“Alright.”
Luan Nian couldn’t help but laugh at Shang Zhitao’s response, then nodded: “Ultra-thin, sensitive ones. Thanks for the trouble.”
“Oh.”
Shang Zhitao stood motionless, lowering her head to reply to messages from the event company, absolutely not mentioning buying condoms. Luan Nian, with his hands crossed behind his head, leaned against the headboard, watching her. After a while, he asked: “Aren’t you going?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“My boss isn’t a male prostitute.” Shang Zhitao put down her phone and smiled at him, deliberately provoking him: “My boss is not for sale.”
“Your boss indeed isn’t a male prostitute, otherwise why didn’t you pay when you slept with him?”
…
Shang Zhitao couldn’t argue with him and blushed in anger.
After a while, she heard successive sounds in the corridor. Luan Nian beckoned to her: “Come here.”
“Hmm?”
“Is this how you take care of someone?”
“Oh.”
Shang Zhitao wrung out a towel and crouched by his bedside to wipe his face, making a show of taking good care of her boss. Luan Nian turned sideways, his finger hooking onto hers. Shang Zhitao tried but failed to withdraw, whispering: “Be careful, someone might see.”
Luan Nian didn’t let go, calling her in a tiny voice: “Shang Zhitao.”
“Your clothes are riding up.”
Luan Nian’s eyes fell on Shang Zhitao’s chest, where he could vaguely see the inner view. His Adam’s apple moved, and he said again: “Are you doing this on purpose?”
Shang Zhitao was about to say something when she heard a knock at the door. She hurriedly withdrew her hand, stood up, and went out to greet the visitor: “Chairwoman Jiang.”
“How drunk is he?”
“He vomited once just now, and now he’s asleep.”
Jiang Lan took a few steps forward, saw Luan Nian sleeping soundly on the bed, and smiled at Shang Zhitao: “Luke still needs to practice his alcohol tolerance.”
“This is also my first time seeing Luke drunk.”
Jiang Lan nodded and walked out, suddenly asking Shang Zhitao: “What’s your name?”