Lumi teased by Yao Luan: “Has Tu Ming given you a love potion?”

“He couldn’t.” She replied, “He’d have to make me drink it, and I’m not stupid.” Lumi straddled her motorcycle: “Let’s go, play at the top of the mountain.”

When they set off again, Lu Qing was a bit quieter. As long as Yao Luan didn’t accelerate on the bends, she didn’t scream. Yao Luan thought she was scared and glanced at her through the rearview mirror. He happened to see Lu Qing looking at the scenery, her hair outside the helmet blown into a mess by the wind, giving it an oil painting-like texture. Yao Luan felt that Lu Qing, Lumi’s sister, was truly a different person from Lumi. The two sisters were like night and day, one noisy and the other quiet like a fool.

Yao Luan’s mischievous side suddenly took over, and he abruptly accelerated. Lu Qing screamed and hurriedly hugged his waist, pressing her face against his back. Yao Luan’s waist was slim and strong, providing a windbreak for Lu Qing. Suddenly, Lu Qing’s eyes felt hot, and she lowered her head, resting her helmet against Yao Luan’s back, crying.

When Lu Qing got divorced, her father Lu Guofu was so angry that he also fell ill. When she got married, the Lu family wasn’t very supportive, but Lu Qing insisted on marrying him. After a year of marriage, she followed the migration of the New Year’s crowd to a different city and would call her parents at night, crying because she missed home.

Despite all the hardships, they still ended up separating.

Sometimes Lu Qing envied Lumi. She wished she could be like Lumi, beating and cursing Qian Xiaobin, kicking him into the gutter to rot. But she couldn’t do such things. She could only hold back her tears and say she wanted a divorce.

The things she didn’t do, the Lu family wanted to do for her, but she stopped them.

It’s fine like this, taking a loss, ending it, it’s good.

At that moment, sitting on Yao Luan’s motorcycle, she suddenly thought, the wind on the mountain is so nice, but I’ve never come to feel it.

Lumi, who was following behind, saw this scene and clicked her tongue. It’s good, my dear sister, why bother with so many worldly concerns? Enjoy the moment!

Back then, Lumi would always advise Lu Qing: “After a divorce, sleep with the next man immediately. Otherwise, you’ll realize the previous one was nothing!”

Lu Qing disagreed and argued with her: “You didn’t sleep with someone else after your breakup either…”

“I’m working on it! I’ll tell you when I sleep with someone!”

When they arrived at the mountain, the motorcycles, handsome men, and beautiful women were lined up. The girls looked great, holding their helmets and leaning against their motorcycles. The sunset was beautiful, the wind was gentle, and soon a misty fog would envelop them. Such group photos were particularly charming.

The teammates enthusiastically invited Lumi: “Ride with us next time! With you here, our photos have so many more elements!”

“Sure, I’ll come when I have time.” Lumi wasn’t shy at all. She also came to ride the mountain alone and had ridden motorcycles with Zhang Xiao and others to places like Ulaanbaud, Xi’an, and Liuzhou. She rode motorcycles not because it was trendy, but simply because she loved it.

Yao Luan thought Lumi was a really nice girl. How so? Lumi was like high-proof liquor, those who don’t drink would be deterred by the bottle’s strength. If you couldn’t resist and took a sip, your throat and heart would be scorched by the spiciness. That feeling was particularly addictive and also dangerous.

He wanted to let Tu Ming, who preferred tea, taste a sip of strong liquor, so he sent him a group photo with the caption: “Lumi rides really well, not just for show. The girl is truly beautiful, and her personality is spicy.”

“Motorcycling is dangerous, be careful.” Tu Ming only replied with this. There was a teacher at their school who went on a motorcycle trip during the holidays and was unable to control his bike due to crosswinds on the highway. Both he and the bike were thrown off, resulting in a tragic death. Tu Ming had told Yao Luan about this incident, trying to persuade him to give up motorcycles, but Yao Luan believed that life was predetermined by fate.

Their attitudes toward life were different, yet they were friends who had been through life-and-death situations together.

Tu Ming felt that other people’s hobbies were none of his business, but he still sent Lumi the news webpage at night: “Riding a motorcycle is a very dangerous activity. A friend from the Northeast said: ‘If you want to go fast, ride a motorcycle that can be kicked.'”

“Driving is also dangerous! Walking is dangerous, flying on planes and high-speed trains is dangerous too.” Lumi replied, simply wanting to hear Tu Ming lecture her more, she found it amusing.

Tu Ming seriously explained to her: “Cars are iron wrapped around meat, motorcycles are meat wrapped around iron; the danger levels are different.” He then sent her many videos of motorcycle accidents, with people lying on the ground moaning, legs caught in roadside fences, and being crushed. He hoped Lumi would learn from these bloody lessons and give up motorcycling.

Lumi was used to freedom and wildness. Suddenly, someone appeared to educate her about safety, and she didn’t resist. In fact, she was somewhat moved. She replied: “I don’t have a competitive mindset when I ride. I don’t do stunts, I don’t drink, and I follow traffic rules. The danger isn’t that great. Thanks, Boss, I’ll be careful.”

Lumi resisted the urge to tease Tu Ming and only spoke seriously.

“Accidents don’t announce themselves.” Tu Ming told her: “You’re young and have so many things to enjoy. Why do you have to ride a motorcycle? What was your original intention for riding?”

“To go out and have fun.”

“You can travel by plane, high-speed train, or long-distance bus; there are many modes of transportation.”

“I like feeling the wind on the road!”

“Then you can go hiking.” Tu Ming believed he was showing Lumi a clear path: “Hiking lets you feel the wind longer and see the scenery more closely.”

… Lumi held her phone and laughed. She could even imagine Tu Ming at that moment, surely with a stern face, typing and deleting, typing and checking, because he didn’t allow any typos.

“I could also play tennis seriously, but you won’t teach me.” Lumi seized the opportunity to push her luck, revealing her cunning like a bright fox.

“If I teach you tennis, will you stop riding your motorcycle?” Tu Ming asked her.

“Yes, I’ll sell my Ducati tomorrow! I’ll focus on learning tennis!”

“Then you should just keep riding your motorcycle!”

“Your concern for my safety is all fake!” Lumi sent him a crying emoji: “You’re just going through the motions of teaching; you don’t really care about others!”

Tu Ming stopped replying to her. He had done what he needed to do and wouldn’t let Lumi drag him into a moral high ground.

Lumi told Yao Luan: “Will suggested I shouldn’t ride a motorcycle.”

“Did he send you bloody accident videos?” Yao Luan asked her.

“Yes, a lot of them.”

“That’s just Tu Ming’s style.” Yao Luan summarized.

“Yeah! A good person! I’m not a good person! I shouldn’t want to sleep with my boss!”

Early in the morning, Lumi arrived at the company earlier than usual, determined to be a good employee. She was going on a business trip to Guilin with Shang Zhi Tao in the afternoon. Perhaps only Shang Zhi Tao could make Lumi get up early at Ling Mei.

She yawned non-stop while washing her cup in the pantry, accidentally splashing water on her sleeve. She exclaimed “Shit!” and hurriedly wiped her arm. Hearing the sound of a locker opening, she turned to see Tu Ming taking out a bag of tea. He looked fresh and clean, the kind of person who eats healthy food, sleeps well, and exercises regularly.

“Good morning, Boss. You drink tea too?”

Tu Ming focused on brewing his tea, glancing at her indifferently: “Less swearing.”

“When did I swear?” Lumi retorted: “Is ‘shit’ a swear word? It’s just an interjection, right?”

Tu Ming felt a bit of a heart attack from her question and walked away. As he approached his office, he remembered Wumeng’s situation and turned back to Lumi: “Wumeng is starting work today. Since you two know each other, I’ll have to trouble you to be her mentor.”

“Isn’t it better if you become her mentor yourself? I speak without thinking, and I’m not reliable. What if I end up influencing her to clock in and out on the dot like me? That wouldn’t be good. It might even give you a heart attack again.”

“I wasn’t seeking your advice just now, it’s more of an arrangement from a superior to a subordinate.” Tu Ming’s tone was gentle: “Flora was trained by you, and her work is outstanding. She didn’t follow your habit of clocking in and out on the dot, so behavior still depends on self-cultivation, and work methods can be taught. I believe you can also train Wumeng well.”

Lumi felt that Tu Ming’s speaking style was both firm and soft, and she wondered if his close friends shared the same style. She mentally challenged him and walked away.

She sat at her desk and organized her work. Around noon, Wumeng sent her a message: “Lumi, I’ve finished the onboarding process.”

“Wait there, I’ll come get you.”

Lumi saw Wumeng from a distance. Today, she looked completely different from the day at the conference. At the conference, she had a smart and capable minimalist style, but today, she seemed a bit more gentle. Lumi’s mind suddenly flashed back to the day she accidentally met Tu Ming’s ex-wife at the restaurant. The two of them seemed to have some resemblance.

Wumeng approached: “Lumi.”

“You look great! Such a wonderful aura!” Lumi gave her a thumbs-up: “Come on, I’ll take you upstairs to meet Will. By the way, have you decided on your English name?”

“Yes, it’s Erin.”

“Nice name, Erin.”

Lumi knocked on Tu Ming’s office door and heard him say “Come in.” Tu Ming was on the phone and made an apologetic gesture, then pointed to the two chairs in front of him, indicating for Lumi to have Wumeng sit down. Wumeng was happy and affectionate towards Tu Ming, waving at him without hiding their good superior-subordinate relationship.

Lumi ignored the interaction between Wumeng and Tu Ming, gestured for Wumeng to sit down, and poured her a glass of water. Tu Ming hung up the phone: “Sorry, I was discussing a project with Luke. How are you, Wumeng? Have you decided on your English name?”

“Yes, it’s Erin.”

“Good, Erin. Welcome to Ling Mei. I’ve arranged for Lumi, the most experienced person in the department, to be your mentor. Since you already know Lumi, you can skip the familiarization process.” Tu Ming glanced at Lumi, who was unusually reserved, not as enthusiastic as before.

“Thank you, Will, and thank you for your hard work, Lumi.”

“It’s no trouble, you’re already experienced, so what’s the hard work? It’s just about guiding you through various processes. You’ll get the hang of it quickly.” After speaking to Wumeng, Lumi said: “Shall I leave first? You two can catch up?”

“No need to catch up. Erin is in your hands now, thank you for your hard work.” Tu Ming pointed to his computer: “I have a remote meeting. Are you leaving for Guilin this afternoon?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll be there tomorrow morning.”

“Hmm? Isn’t it that the boss doesn’t go on this trip?”

“Originally, yes, but Luke just informed me that the client’s boss, Wang Jiexing, will be there, and they’ve also invited us to discuss some matters. So, you might have to handle the hospitality when you arrive.”

“Got it, leave it to me, you can rest assured.” Lumi stood up and said to Wumeng: “Let’s go, I’ll introduce you to the colleagues?”

“Okay.”

Lumi introduced Wumeng to her colleagues, deliberately avoiding the fact that she was Tu Ming’s former subordinate. This information was sensitive, and Lumi knew when to hold back. If the person involved didn’t mention it, she wouldn’t either. There was no need.

The workplace was already full of people with complicated minds, she didn’t need to add to that. Some colleagues asked Lumi privately: “Does your new apprentice have some kind of background?” Lumi would joke: “What background? A child of high-ranking officials? A scion of a wealthy family? I don’t think so. If she had a background, she’d be leading us instead of me being her mentor, right?”

She brushed it off with a laugh.

Tu Ming watched from his office as Lumi introduced Wumeng to her colleagues. They were cheerful at every desk, appearing not to take things seriously, truly helping a new colleague integrate, which was more effective than a formal introduction.

By noon, Lumi and Shang Zhi Tao were dragging their suitcases to leave. In the taxi, Lumi sent a message to Tu Ming: “I’ve introduced Erin to the colleagues, I’ve given her work documents to study on her own. If she has any questions, she can contact me anytime, I’ve also let her join Daisy’s communication project.”

“Very good, thank you for your hard work.”

“It’s no trouble, it’s my job.”

Lumi showed her phone to Shang Zhi Tao: “Look how hypocritical I am, saying it’s no trouble and it’s my job. I’m cursing him in my heart! Look at the thankless task you’ve assigned me, training an apprentice to take down the master?”

“I don’t think so. They wouldn’t take down anyone, especially not you.”

“The people in our department are all such good actors, complaining about the hard work in private, but in front of the boss, it’s all ‘I’m fine! I’m very capable! I don’t need a life! I just got out of the hospital, help me up! I can still work!'” Lumi mimicked her colleagues during meetings: “Aren’t they just big fools? Isn’t it exhausting to be like this every day?”

Shang Zhi Tao was amused by her and laughed: “What about you? What do you do when others are like this?”

“What can I do? Of course, I say, ‘If you can do it, go ahead. If you love working, then work. I can’t do it. I have a lot of things to do after work! Wouldn’t it be better to chat with my uncle? Having dinner with my parents is great! Visiting my grandma is also a must, right? Who wants to waste time with them!'”

“Does Will know they’re just acting?” Shang Zhi Tao pondered and asked Lumi.

“I don’t think so? He’s blind! Or maybe he knows and is just pretending not to.”

“Last time he expressed his hope that everyone could streamline processes to improve efficiency, giving everyone time to return to their personal lives. I think he was serious.”

“He’s serious about everything, including when he advised me not to ride a motorcycle! He was serious when he rejected me! He’s serious about playing tennis, and he’s serious about checking my attendance.” Lumi slumped in her seat: “Yao Luan told me that Will has always liked serious people.”

“I thought Will would like you, you’re the most serious.”

“Give me a break!” Shang Zhi Tao mimicked Lumi’s tone: “You’re not my type.”

“Who is your type? A stubborn donkey?” Lumi teased her, and before she could answer, she added: “A stubborn donkey is fine too. Enjoy it, no regrets.”

The two of them laughed and joked. The taxi driver, hearing their conversation, joined in: “You girls are quite funny!”

“We’re alright! We could even do stand-up comedy!”