The first day of work had gone almost smoothly, except for Luan Nian telling her she should change jobs. But who was Shang Zhitao? She had built a strong, positive mindset since she was a child. Her gloom faded fast, and she simply filed Luan Nian away under "difficult," "strange," and "a little annoying." Hmph, she thought. I'm not quitting. It was nearly midnight by the time Shang Zhitao got home, and the complex was dark. Behind her came the clatter of suitcase wheels rolling over the pavement, a sound that trailed her the whole way, like something out of a horror movie. She hurried into the dark stairwell, climbed the stairs in one burst of nervous energy, ran into her room, and locked the door. She had barely gotten her dress off and her pajamas on when she heard a soft click at the door, which made her jump. Then came the faint roll of suitcase wheels somewhere inside the apartment, and after that, nothing. It was one of her roommates. One she...
Luan Nian had no patience for small talk with Shang Zhitao, so he kept it short. "Let's get to the point." That was who he was: simple, quick, efficient, unwilling to waste a minute on anything unnecessary. Shang Zhitao nodded. "I've been going over the planning department's project files and there are a few things I don't understand. I wanted to ask for your input. And, while I'm here, I'd like you to be the subject of my new employee interview." She sat up straight, the way a student might sit while listening closely to a lecture, a posture of unusual humility for her. "What don't you understand?" Lumi had been right about him. Luan Nian never made things difficult for people over work; he took it seriously. There was a lot Shang Zhitao didn't understand, so she simply opened her notebook. "Can I ask you about each project one at a time?" "Go ahead." Luan Nian leaned forward to listen. He found the...