Luan Nian received Shang Zhitao’s message late at night. She sent a screenshot of Sun Yu’s website account cancellation page, along with a few simple words: “I’ve canceled it.”

That was all.

Shang Zhitao was accustomed to constantly giving in when it came to her relationship with Luan Nian. She wouldn’t do things he disliked, even though his dislike often had no justifiable basis.

Luan Nian stared at his phone for a long while before finally replying: “Good. Marriage scams are low-class. Even if it’s just a decoy, it’s beneath dignity.”

“Mm.” Shang Zhitao had guessed he would say something like this, characteristically cutting as always. She responded with a simple sound and turned off her phone. Despite having had some alcohol, she still couldn’t sleep. When she got up at night to drink water, she saw Sun Yuanzhu sitting on the sofa, bathed in the half-moonlight that wrapped him in a cold, chilly layer. She had never seen Sun Yuanzhu like this before.

Her hand holding the cup trembled slightly as she walked to his side and asked, “Why aren’t you sleeping?”

“Can’t sleep,” Sun Yuanzhu smiled at her, a fleeting smile that seemed to seek comfort, yet also seemed like a cry for help.

“May I sit with you for a while?”

“Sure.”

They sat side by side on the sofa, with a space of one and a half persons between them. At first, neither spoke. When the moon hid behind the clouds, the living room suddenly darkened, and Shang Zhitao felt a bit afraid. She said, “Sun Yuanzhu, you know what? I’m not dating anyone. I just have a relationship that isn’t quite normal.”

“I always thought I didn’t care about the outcome, or perhaps I was hoping that patience would eventually be rewarded. But actually, I don’t have that ability. I know I haven’t been compromising myself, because I’ve also experienced happiness. But whenever I have to give in during conflicts, I start to waver.”

“Am I too terrible?”

“You’re not,” Sun Yuanzhu interrupted her. “You’re still young, and youth gives you chances to make mistakes. I also believe you dare to break out of your shell. You may not have it now, but sooner or later you will. Unlike me…” Sun Yuanzhu stopped talking, leaning back, as if a strand of his soul had gone missing. Shang Zhitao felt he was incredibly lonely, and it seemed like he had many stories to tell. But he said nothing.

Shang Zhitao remained seated beside him, and later they both fell asleep leaning against the sofa back. The next morning, when she opened her eyes, Sun Yuanzhu was already gone. She got up to look for him and saw a note left on the table. Sun Yuanzhu had written: “I’ve gone to buy fried dough sticks and tofu pudding. We both need the immense joy that carbs bring.”

Shang Zhitao held the note and smiled slightly, thinking that Sun Yuanzhu understood her so well.

So she put on clothes and went downstairs to walk the dog. Luke didn’t like the garden in her complex. People say dogs don’t discriminate between rich and poor, but that didn’t apply to Luke. Luke liked Luan Nian’s big house and the large lawn in his neighborhood. Every time they went there, the dog would strut around like a king, head held high as he inspected his territory, reluctant to go home. When they returned to Shang Zhitao’s place, Luke would voluntarily head back after just one round.

When Shang Zhitao went back upstairs, she remembered her phone was still turned off. After turning it on, she saw work messages from Grace, who had a prenatal check-up on Monday and hoped Shang Zhitao could attend a meeting for her. There were also strange photos from Lu Mi, who had sent them while drunk. Luan Nian hadn’t messaged her.

“What meeting am I attending?”

“Luke said he’s visiting Jiang Lan on Monday, but I’ve added a check-up and can’t go. Could you help me attend?”

“Sure.”

On Monday, when it was time to leave, Shang Zhitao got into Luan Nian’s car.

As he started the car, she asked him, “How was your date with Professor Gong?”

“Pretty good.” Luan Nian found Shang Zhitao quite amusing. She couldn’t tell at all that he had spoken in anger. Yet for someone with supposedly low emotional intelligence, she was quite perceptive about reading others.

“Then…”

“Let’s set aside my dating matters for now. First, tell me why you switched to a new supplier for the exhibition tour in Suzhou two years ago.”

“Huh?” Shang Zhitao didn’t understand why he was asking this, so she could only answer truthfully: “The existing suppliers at that time wouldn’t accept advance payments, and they weren’t impressive during the bid presentations. Later, Alex said Since that was the case, we should use new ones with better attitudes.”

“Did you have any contact with Manager Wang afterward?”

“Contact as in?”

“Privately.”

“No, he visited us twice, but Lu Mi was always present.”

“Did you receive any gifts from him?”

“No.”

“Hmm.”

“So why are you asking about this?”

“Because someone reported that you accepted bribes.”

Luan Nian glanced at Shang Zhitao, who was looking out the window, lost in thought. In the past, she would probably have said, “How could anyone slander me like that!”

Today, however, she remained silent.

“Nothing to say?” Luan Nian asked her.

“About what?”

“Like how you’re innocent?”

“If you believe I’m innocent, you’ll believe it whether I say so or not. If you don’t believe me, what’s the use of me saying anything?” Shang Zhitao felt that Luan Nian didn’t trust her, and his questioning hurt her more than the slander from others.

Just like when Luan Nian said marriage scams were low-class and decoys were beneath dignity, he never considered why she might have done it, simply categorizing her as low-class and beneath dignity. He was accustomed to looking down on her, defining her, because she was someone he felt fundamentally unworthy of his respect.

It had always been like this before, but in the past, she had been able to dissolve these emotions. Now she couldn’t anymore; suddenly, she just couldn’t.

“Right now it’s just suspicion. If someone files a formal complaint, the company will investigate.”

“Investigation is welcome.”

After saying this, Shang Zhitao pressed her lips together and didn’t speak again, all the way to the meeting room at Jiang Lan’s company. She saw Kitty sitting in the meeting room, right beside Jiang Lan. Indeed, excellent people never worry about finding jobs, even those with questionable conduct.

Jiang Lan stood up to greet them: “Luke, long time no see.”

“We just met last week.”

Jiang Lan laughed loudly: “Even a day apart feels long, you know.” Then he looked at Shang Zhitao: “Is this Flora?”

“Hello, Mr. Jiang. I’m Flora.”

“And Kitty, you’ve all met before.”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s begin.”

Jiang Lan sat back in his chair, watching Shang Zhitao open her laptop to prepare for screen sharing. He remembered this girl from the event in Suzhou, where she had stayed in Luan Nian’s room to take care of him. She had a clean, harmless face, yet with a rare seriousness about her. Quite interesting.

Looking at Luan Nian again, he sat there, perfectly composed.

Shang Zhitao presented the strategic cooperation plan for the year on Grace’s behalf. Grace had prepared the original materials well, and since Shang Zhitao had been involved, she presented without difficulty. She answered all of Grace’s questions during the presentation. The proposal round ended with surprising smoothness.

“Shall we eat?” Jiang Lan checked the time.

“Sure, my treat,” said Luan Nian.

“Fine with me.” Jiang Lan and Luan Nian were well acquainted, so they walked in front, while Kitty and Shang Zhitao followed behind. Kitty sized up Shang Zhitao and suddenly asked, “Did you send the anonymous email?”

“You overestimate me. I don’t have that kind of free time.”

“Then it must have been that lowlife mentor of yours.”

“I think the real lowlife is someone who runs to a man’s room in the middle of the night, then slanders the person who stood up against it.” Shang Zhitao was uncharacteristically firm: “Kitty, I know you don’t like me. We joined Lingmei in the same campus recruitment batch, and you feel I lowered the quality of our cohort. I understand, and I am indeed ordinary. But people should take a long-term view. I don’t mind if you look five years ahead—I might not end up worse off than you.”

Shang Zhitao said this to Kitty, but she was also hinting at herself.

Kitty laughed: “Is that how you always comfort yourself? What if you’re still the same five years from now? Will you shift your perspective to ten years or a lifetime? Shang Zhitao, life only gives you so many good years. If you’re not good enough, you’re just not good enough.”

“There’s no point discussing this.”

“Is accepting bribes more interesting? Does taking bribes help you succeed?”

“I suggest you speak with evidence.”

“Of course.” Kitty leaned close to her ear and provocatively said, “Shang Zhitao, ready to take what’s coming?”

Luan Nian looked back at them: “Catching up?”

“Yes.” It had been a long time, Kitty smiled.

Shang Zhitao couldn’t master the art of acting one way in public and another in private. She stepped to the side, away from Kitty’s arm.

“Let’s go,” Luan Nian looked at Shang Zhitao. They needed to drive about five kilometers to the restaurant, so they split into two cars.

“Was it Kitty who reported me?” Shang Zhitao asked Luan Nian.

“Yes.”

“So you believe others?” Shang Zhitao asked again.

“What do you mean? I’m neutral.”

After sleeping together for several years, all she got was “I’m neutral.” Shang Zhitao looked out the car window, saying nothing. All through dinner, she spoke very little. But she remembered business etiquette, smiling when she should smile, playing along when she should play along, taking care of others when she should. Yet she had no extra words.

“Flora doesn’t talk much?” Jiang Lan asked her.

“Not at all, Mr. Jiang. I just find everyone’s conversation so interesting that I want to listen more.”

“In other words, enjoying the show quietly,” Jiang Lan winked at her.

Shang Zhitao smiled: “Exactly!”

Jiang Lan also smiled and said to Luan Nian: “Flora is fun. You might consider letting her handle this project in the future.”

In the workplace, every workplace has its territories. Jiang Lan’s project was Grace’s territory, and Shang Zhitao didn’t want to encroach. So she politely declined Jiang Lan: “I’ve just joined the planning department and am learning projects under Grace’s mentorship. Currently, I’m still in a state of complete ignorance. Mr. Jiang’s project is very important, and Grace has been managing it all along, so only she understands it best.”

Reasonable, measured, principled. Pretty good. Jiang Lan looked at Luan Nian, then at Shang Zhitao, raising his eyebrows.

No one takes table talk seriously, unless someone with ulterior motives twists it and passes it on. By the time it reached Grace’s ears, it had become that Shang Zhitao wanted Jiang Lan’s project. Although Grace trusted Shang Zhitao, she became somewhat wary. When teaching her again, she slowed down the pace.

Shang Zhitao noticed this.

She wasn’t a novice to the workplace anymore. All the social cues she’d learned to read and the grievances she’d endured over the years had taught her about the twists and turns of office politics. She knew that she and Grace had been driven apart. So when Grace went downstairs for some fresh air, Shang Zhitao actively accompanied her.

Downstairs, Shang Zhitao spoke frankly to her: “Grace, the other day when I went to see the client for you, I saw Kitty. During the meal, Mr. Jiang joked about letting me handle his project. My exact words were that I had just joined the planning department and was still learning from my mentor Grace. Only Grace could handle Mr. Jiang’s project, and I would mess it up.” Shang Zhitao paused after saying this: “Luke can vouch for that.”

Grace smiled and said to her: “Flora, what are you talking about? I believe you.”

“Mm, I know. I just worried there might be a misunderstanding. You know, Kitty doesn’t like me, and I was surprised to see her at Mr. Jiang’s that day as well.”

Many things don’t need to be spelled out completely; it becomes less interesting when everything is made too clear. Grace glossed over it and returned to her previous attitude toward Shang Zhitao.

In the planning department, Shang Zhitao kept a very low profile. She wasn’t as anxious and insecure as before, but she still carefully navigated the balance between colleague relationships and work.

Sometimes when she saw Luan Nian, she wanted to search for some comfort in his eyes, but ultimately gave up. She refused to show her vulnerability to him.