Tonight, Chen Xiao found himself stunned several times. 

It was because of what Lu Nan had said. 

They had known each other for six months, and he thought he understood her well enough, but he kept discovering that she had a side no one knew about. 

She could express her practical beliefs in such refined language—how could that be so cute? 

So cute. 

Even when weighing the pros and cons. 

Her directness mixed with scheming and greed. 

Still, she remained so cute. 

Chen Xiao thought for a while, then came to a conclusion: Lu Nan’s charm lay in her authenticity. 

She was real and sincere. 

If he was honest with himself, Chen Xiao felt he didn’t live with enough truth, which was why he couldn’t help but admire someone like her. 

Someone like him, who sometimes didn’t want to maintain any kind of decorum or politeness, but still wore a polite, fake smile on his face. 

Someone who had imagined, when living abroad, whether his long-lost father would hug him when they met again, or if he would be the one to hug his father, but when he actually saw him, he simply greeted him politely. 

Someone who wanted to join the Yuan Chuan Group, but pretended it was because his mother had pressured him into it. 

Someone who… liked Lu Nan, but still acted like they were just ordinary colleagues. 

Chen Xiao gazed at Lu Nan, feeling like he might be drunk, and blurted out what was on his mind: “If you encounter any difficulties, feel free to find me… or Director Tong.” After saying it, he realized it was inappropriate—it implied a lack of trust in Lu Nan’s personal capabilities and disrespected her efforts. 

Lu Nan looked up, slightly surprised, and after seeing the seriousness in Chen Xiao’s expression, she smiled playfully as if joking: “Sounds good, from now on, I’ll be someone with connections.” 

Chen Xiao got the message. 

Once again, Lu Nan skillfully redirected the topic. 

He shook his head helplessly. 

“Tea’s almost finished. While ripe Pu’er is good for sleep, it’s not good to have too much. Brother Xiao, let’s go,” Lu Nan suggested. 

This time, Chen Xiao paid, and Lu Nan drove him to the building where he lived. 

Neither of them declined, and neither of them was overly polite. 

Tonight, some things were left unsaid, but smart people could read between the lines. 

Before getting out of the car, Chen Xiao still reminded her, “Drive slowly, and remember to send me a message when you get to the dorm.” 

Lu Nan nodded. 

A few minutes later, Chen Xiao received a message from Lu Nan, saying: “Arrived at the dorm. By the way, here’s the work plan for tomorrow: …” 

After sending the message, Lu Nan went to get her pajamas and take a shower. 

While brushing her teeth in front of the mirror, she looked at her reflection. 

So young and full of life. 

No wonder she was so likable. 

After finishing her routine, it was almost 10:30 PM. Lu Nan opened her computer and stared at the outline of her new story, lost in thought. 

Inspiration is fleeting, and skill comes with practice. 

Recently, she had been busy with her main job and had neglected her side hustle. 

Although her finished quick-transmigration novel still brought in some income, the original readers had probably moved on. 

Lu Nan thought for a moment, realizing she’d still be busy for a while, and it wasn’t the right time to start a new project. She decided to continue perfecting the outline and save up some drafts. 

… 

Given that Ms. Huang needed time and space to accept the decision Lu Nan had made, Lu Nan decided to keep her contact with her low for now. She would still send messages but delay face-to-face meetings. 

December was a busy month, with everyone at the Hailin City office hustling to collect as much payment as possible before the 31st to close the books. 

Lu Nan’s client, Feixiang, had already completed its half-year goals, so she wasn’t as anxious as her colleagues. 

But of course, more payment was always welcome. 

In mid-December, when Lu Nan was checking Feixiang’s inventory, she successfully created a sense of urgency about the stock shortage with Pei Xuedong. After Pei Xuedong reported it, the team at Feixiang discussed it, and Mr. Yang decided to replenish the stock before the Lunar New Year. 

The next day, Lu Nan received a call and drove to meet Mr. Yang and Sister Pei. 

Upon arriving at Feixiang, Lu Nan, following the familiar routine, entered Mr. Yang’s office and half-jokingly said, “I’ve already prepared the stock reference list for the replenishment. But there’s something I need to ask, though it’s a bit awkward. Since Feixiang has been cooperating with our company for many years, you probably know that Yuan Chuan’s books close on December 31. If you and Sister Pei are satisfied with my service over the past six months, could you possibly help me out and make the payment before the 31st?” 

Mr. Yang immediately understood that Lu Nan had a collection target. He turned to Sister Pei and asked, “How much cash do we have left?” 

Sister Pei replied, “Several suppliers have been chasing us for payments. We’ve made quite a few already—there’s only about five hundred thousand left in the account.” 

Ah, that really was unexpected. 

However, Lu Nan wasn’t worried. She believed her efforts over the past six months hadn’t been in vain. More importantly, Feixiang shipped goods quickly, and the payment was just being pushed forward by a week or two. It wasn’t like she was pressuring the distributor with excessive stock. As long as there was enough cash before the books closed, Mr. Yang would likely allocate some for her. 

She had a good read on Mr. Yang’s character. 

After thinking for a moment, Mr. Yang said to Sister Pei, “Let’s see if we can collect more receivables by month’s end—aim for one million. If not, just go to the bank and issue a bank acceptance draft for Manager Lu.” 

Sister Pei nodded in agreement. 

Lu Nan, of course, knew what a bank acceptance draft was. 

And Feixiang’s willingness to arrange a million in payment was really beyond her expectations. 

She awkwardly spoke up, “Mr. Yang, Sister Pei, it’s no problem. The payment can be made after the New Year. The logistics will still be fine since the holiday is later this year.” 

Mr. Yang wasn’t just being polite. He seriously said, “Manager Lu, we’ve noticed everything you’ve done over the past six months. This batch of goods needed replenishing anyway, so we’re just moving the payment up a few days. I can help with this small favor.” 

Lu Nan was genuinely moved. She thought to herself—when she applied for the city manager position elsewhere, she must ensure a proper handover with Feixiang. 

… 

Before the Saturday meeting, Pan Sasha took Lu Nan to eat at a local restaurant: “So, you’re really planning to apply for the city manager position?” 

Lu Nan nodded. 

“Ah.” After receiving the confirmation, Sasha stopped trying to persuade her to stay. Everyone had their own plans, and how could she force someone to stay just because she didn’t want to part with a friend? 

Lu Nan smiled, “The chance of me staying in the province is much higher than going out of it. Don’t look so down. As long as I’m in the province, I’ll still come back for the monthly meetings. We’ll still see each other, right?” 

Neither of them doubted that Lu Nan would succeed in the application. 

Lu Nan was very confident in herself. 

Pan Sasha trusted and recognized Lu Nan’s capabilities at work. 

Thinking of this, Pan Sasha gritted her teeth and said, “Alright, I’ve made up my mind!” 

“Hmm?” 

“I’ve decided that starting next year, I’m going to actively push sales! I’ll strive to help Old Pan complete the new annual distribution contract volume and hit the stretch goal. Next year I’ll also apply to be city manager, and finally break free from my mom’s clutches!” Pan Sasha said with determination. 

Lu Nan looked her in the eye and could only smile helplessly. 

“Then go for it.” 

“So actually!” Sasha said mysteriously as she nudged Lu Nan, “You want to compete for the city manager position in another city, right? Surely part of it is to escape your mom’s control?” 

Lu Nan honestly nodded, “That’s a small part of the reason. After all, distance makes the heart grow fonder.” 

“Then have you two made up?” 

“Ah…” Lu Nan sighed. 

Pan Sasha instantly understood, and that response meant they hadn’t reconciled: “It’s fine, just drag it out. I have experience with this kind of thing. If you drag it on long enough, your mom will give in.” 

Lu Nan shrugged. For now, it seemed her mother was resistant to this matter, and the only option was to delay it. 

“By the way, what are you planning for Christmas?” Shasha was already calculating. The 24th was a Saturday, and she’d be coming over for the weekly meeting anyway—she could stay the night and spend Christmas Eve with Nan Nan, then go home the next day. Perfect. 

“Why don’t we find a lively place to hang out?” 

Lu Nan replied, “Christmas Eve? A couple of days ago, someone asked me, but I’m still not sure.” 

“Not sure? Do you have plans? A guy or a girl?” Sasha asked curiously. 

“You know her, my classmate, Luna’s You Xiafei,” Lu Nan said helplessly. “She asked me a couple of days earlier, but we haven’t planned what to do yet.” 

“Ugh, I can’t believe I wasn’t the first! How about you ask her if she’d mind me tagging along?” 

Lu Nan nodded, “Alright, she’s probably on lunch break now. I’ll send her a message.” 

“Lunch break?” 

“Oh, right. She transferred departments recently. She’s no longer in the store; she’s moved to the e-commerce department. She’s probably going to start sending announcements to her client groups soon.” Lu Nan explained. 

Pan Sasha clicked her tongue. “E-commerce department, sounds much fancier than the store. I thought you had a date with someone of the opposite sex. Ah, I was just overthinking. Our Nan Nan is all about her career now.” 

As they spoke, Lu Nan’s phone dinged a few times. She unlocked it and saw a message from that junior, Shi Yan, saying that the school would have an event on Christmas Eve and he wanted to invite her to come back and take a look. 

Lu Nan shook her head helplessly. 

Sasha quickly noticed Lu Nan’s expression and her invisible radar went up. “Who is it? That expression, definitely not about work.” 

“A junior.” 

“Oh~ a junior~” 

Lu Nan pretended to glare at Sasha. “He asked me if I want to join the university’s Christmas Eve event.” 

Sasha’s eyes lit up instantly. “Go, go, go! A university campus is full of young, fresh-faced juniors!” 

Lu Nan had just sent a message to You Xiafei, and within two minutes, her phone rang. “Does Sasha want to join us for Christmas Eve? Of course! I was just thinking about what activities to arrange. I saw the school’s Weibo this morning, and it looks like the student union of our department is hosting the event, with the marketing department in charge. It seems interesting. I don’t know if Sasha would like to join?” 

Sasha, sitting so close to Lu Nan, naturally heard this and whispered, “Go, go, go!” 

Caught in the middle, Lu Nan had no choice but to say, “Alright, majority rules. I’ll follow you two. Let’s go!”