“How do you mean ‘see you in bed’?”

Lumi had just said it offhandedly, and when Shang Zhi Tao pressed her for an answer, she did give it some thought, but she didn’t take it too seriously. She also had her own worries, such as the final stop of the troublesome touring exhibition project landing on her shoulders.

The final stop was chosen to be in Chongqing, followed by Yao Luan’s training session. The schedule was tight, and she rarely stayed seated at her workstation, attending meetings, remotely checking the venue, discussing plans, and running out as soon as she hung up the phone.

In the hallway, she passed by Tu Ming without even greeting him. She was holding her bladder! No time for pleasantries!

Tu Ming turned his head to watch Lumi disappear into the restroom with an odd posture, and the comical sight actually made him laugh.

“Boss, what’s wrong?” Another subordinate, Jacky, asked Tu Ming. They had been discussing work.

“Nothing.”

“Then…”

“Continue. So, which work should we choose to enter for the competition? Public relations arrangements? Let’s talk in my office.”

Lumi relieved herself and felt rejuvenated. She returned to her workstation to call Yao Luan and discuss the reception arrangements with him.

“I’ll stay wherever you guys are staying. No need for special arrangements. Just do what’s convenient for you.” Yao Luan was easygoing and didn’t want to cause trouble.

“What about meals? Do you have any dietary restrictions?”

“No restrictions. I’ll go with whatever you arrange.”

“Alright then. I’ll arrange things according to my preferences. If the arrangements aren’t good, please forgive me.”

Lumi hung up the phone and sent detailed emails regarding the touring exhibition and training arrangements. When she looked up, it was already dark outside, past 8 p.m., a rare occasion of overtime for her.

“All done?” Shang Zhi Tao asked her: “I’ve seen you busy all day, no time to chat. I was assigned other tasks. My flight has been changed; I’ll arrive early the day after tomorrow, and after a meeting with others, I can come to help you.”

“Mind your own business!” Lumi was ready to clock out. Seeing the faint blue under Shang Zhi Tao’s eyes, she said to her: “Next time they give you work, can you not accept it? Look at how exhausted you are!”

“After finishing this project, I can rest well.”

“Go home now, quickly!” Lumi started packing up Shang Zhi Tao’s things, nagging as she did: “You’re just too easy to bully. How many years have you been with the company, and you’re still so easy to bully! I know what the new task is. Grace is quite amusing; don’t believe everything she says, she might not be a good person.”

“Oh my God!” Shang Zhi Tao covered her mouth: “You’re scaring me to death.”

“Coward! When we get to Chongqing, you can rest well and not worry about anything. I’ll take you out to play after I’m done with my work.”

Lumi liked Chongqing. Despite the suffocating heat and the fiery driving of the taxis, Lumi was still captivated by the local cuisine of Chongqing. In her heart, she believed she must have been a Chongqing girl in her past life, both lively and fond of eating.

Upon arriving in Chongqing, she immersed herself in the hotel, overseeing the venue from there. Near the venue was a local eatery she had once visited, with dishes written on a blackboard, guaranteeing that any order would not disappoint. Lumi pondered going for a meal while watching the setup. Tu Ming came to check on the venue after a meeting with a client and saw Lumi with her eyes glowing green with hunger.

“What’s wrong?”

“Hungry.”

Tu Ming glanced at the time, it was past 1 p.m.: “Haven’t eaten yet?”

“No.”

“Go eat something.”

“Have you eaten?”

“I haven’t either.”

“Then let’s go together!” Lumi jumped up: “Let me tell you, there’s a place nearby with amazing local cuisine. You’ll regret it for life if you don’t try it!” She jumped behind Tu Ming, placing her palm on his back to gently push him: “Boss, let’s go together!”

Tu Ming had never been invited in such a “hands-on” manner before. He stepped to the side to escape her palm, yet he didn’t have the heart to refuse her kindness, so he nodded: “Alright, let’s go together.”

The other colleagues hadn’t arrived yet, and Lumi thought it was great that they hadn’t. She could finally return a favor to Tu Ming.

The two of them walked on the hilly streets of Chongqing, where the weather was hot and humid, cicadas chirped loudly, and many flowers and trees were planted on the rooftops of tall buildings. Lumi wiped her sweat as she said to Tu Ming: “Look at those plants, how interesting.”

Tu Ming looked up for a moment. Having seen many sights, he didn’t find it particularly novel, yet he was infected by Lumi’s enthusiasm. He asked her: “You work in marketing and travel all over the world. Besides Beijing, which place do you like the most?”

“I can’t really say. I like wherever I go; there’s no place I particularly dislike. These days, I like Chongqing the most because I’m here.” Lumi wanted to express the idea of “living in the moment.” In her teenage dreams of being a female knight-errant, she imagined traveling to many places without settling down in one for too long. As she grew up, she understood the sentiment of “life’s gatherings and partings should be like this, enjoy the moment when we meet.”

Tu Ming was well aware of Lumi’s “enjoying life in the moment” attitude. She was consistent in her actions, with a strong desire to play and deeply committed to this philosophy.

Chongqing was too hot.

After just ten minutes of walking, a few beads of sweat fell from Tu Ming’s cheeks. Passing by some large trees that provided shade from the sun, they stopped in front of a noisy crowd on the side of the road. Lumi pointed to the place that could barely be called a restaurant and said: “We’re here.”

There were a few broken tables, two or three fans whirring, and everyone inside was sweating profusely. Lumi pointed to a table: “Have a seat, I’ll go order.”

She walked to the blackboard and ordered three dishes, all of which she had tried and found to be especially delicious.

“It’s a bit shabby, but I guarantee with my personality that it’s delicious! If it’s not…”

“Don’t call me your grandfather, it’s bad luck.” Tu Ming interrupted her, afraid she would say something inappropriate like “if it’s not delicious, I’ll call you my grandfather.”

Lumi chuckled and opened two bottles of ice-cold Coke.

The boss lady brought out a pot of rice, followed by three plates of dishes, with the spicy and fragrant flavors of Chongqing’s local cuisine.

Tu Ming served rice for both of them, and they took their first bites.

Tu Ming wasn’t picky about food. As a child, he would take his lunchbox to the university canteen and ask others to fill it with whatever was available. Today’s local cuisine was different from high-end restaurants, with each mouthful of food accompanied by a bite of rice, truly delicious. Even Lumi, with her constant chatter, fell silent, her lips slightly reddened, sweating profusely, only occasionally saying: “It’s delicious.”

Tu Ming saw Lumi eat a bowl of rice and then serve herself another one. The local cuisine was indeed very appetizing, and they finished a pot of rice together, still feeling a bit unsatisfied. When it was time to pay the bill, Lumi said to Tu Ming: “Don’t fight me for the check! I must pay today! Otherwise, I’ll still be thinking about treating you to a meal, I’m very sincere, but you won’t give me the chance!”

Tu Ming didn’t argue with her and accepted her treat with peace of mind.

It was just a meal, but Tu Ming discovered Lumi’s virtue: sincerity, with a touch of chivalry. This was rare; in this era, the concept of “chivalry” was as likely to be found as an ancient bronze vessel from the Shang and Zhou dynasties. In any case, it was quite refreshing.

When they separated at the hotel to continue their work, Lumi clasped her hands together towards Tu Ming: “Thank you again, boss, for helping me out the other day. Having this meal has made me feel much better.” Her gesture was both comical and sincere.

Tu Ming couldn’t help but laugh: “Alright, we’re even. Until we meet again!”

Lumi was momentarily dazzled by his smile, thinking that this boss was too good and looked so handsome when he laughed, making her occasional thoughts of wanting to sleep with him seem reasonable and justified.

Lumi didn’t like overtime, but when there was work to be done, she was genuinely serious about it. She stayed at the venue until around 4 p.m., then packed up to head to the Nan Mountain.

There was another event on the mountain that evening, and she needed to oversee it.

After leaving the venue, she took a taxi to a hotpot restaurant on the mountain. Surrounded by mountains, Chongqing resembled a small Hong Kong. Even though the lights on the mountain hadn’t come on yet, the mountain scenery was still beautiful. She stopped at a bookstore along the way, rarely picking up a few postcards and sitting on a cushion by the window to write to her good friends.

Then she continued up the mountain.

When she arrived at the hotpot restaurant, she saw that Tu Ming was already there. He was sitting at a table shaded by trees, reading a book. Despite the heat, he looked cool and refreshed. The small lamp under the tree cast light on his book, the world around him dim, with only a beam of light on him, like a rather good painting.

“Boss.” Lumi greeted him and sat down: “The hotpot restaurant manager said you’ve already sorted everything out?”

“Yes. Didn’t you say you wouldn’t come if you were too busy down the mountain?”

“No, no, no, I’ll make sure to oversee my work.” Lumi glanced at the book Tu Ming was reading; he was actually reading Wang Zengqi’s “The Human World of Grass and Trees.”

Tu Ming noticed her gaze and asked her: “Have you read it?”

“I couldn’t get into it.” Lumi cleared her throat: “It’s not that the book is bad, it’s just not my taste.”

“What kind of books do you like?” Tu Ming glanced at the time; the client would be arriving soon. Tonight, he was hosting the client on behalf of Luke, to enjoy the night view of Chongqing.

“I like martial arts novels.” Lumi was happy to talk about what she liked: “Jin Yong, Gu Long, Liang Yusheng, Wen Ruian, Huang Yi… Boss, have you read any of them? If not, I can tell you about them.”

“Start from the creation of the world by Pangu?” Tu Ming teased her. Lumi was quite amusing; any of the books by these authors could be discussed for years.

“That’s not necessary. Let’s start from the ‘Fei’ in ‘Fei Xue Lian Tian She Bai Lu’ (a phrase referring to Jin Yong’s novels). It all started when…”

“Lumi, the client is here.” Lumi’s supplier walked over, interrupting their conversation. Lumi quickly stood up: “Alright, let’s chat another day. I’ll go check on the guide first.”

“You’ve worked hard.”

Lumi walked out, and Tu Ming stood under the tree waiting. Lumi glanced back and exclaimed in her heart: This man is truly a handsome one. This boss was rare; he worked in a job that dealt with money, yet he was refreshing and clean. Under the red lanterns of the mountain, he seemed a bit out of place.

Entertaining inevitably involved drinking.

Tu Ming’s alcohol tolerance wasn’t great; he genuinely didn’t like drinking. As soon as the alcohol touched his throat, his stomach began to feel uncomfortable. He took liver protection pills in advance and occasionally suggested drinking slowly. But the client set their own pace; since they had all met before, they gradually started to drink faster.

Lumi stood outside and saw Tu Ming’s face turn as red as Guan Yu’s. She took a sneaky photo and sent it to her colleagues: Hurry up, the bosses are drunk.

Everyone chatted amiably, and Tu Ming walked straight to the restroom. Lumi followed him and heard him vomiting. It took him a while to come out, and he stood outside to get some fresh air.

Seeing Lumi staring at him with wide eyes, he said to her: “I’m not good with alcohol.” He didn’t feel embarrassed about it.

“Oh, should I take over?” Lumi offered. She was familiar with these clients and occasionally interacted with them privately. The company’s annual gifts to clients were all handled by her.

“No way.” Tu Ming was firm. It was better not to drink than to let a female employee take over.

“But you said work is important. These clients are important. If they’re not happy with the meal, wouldn’t it be a loss?”

“It doesn’t matter. Did your previous bosses ask you to drink with clients?”

“No, they didn’t dare.” Mainly because they knew Lumi’s character; she didn’t care about anything. Today was the first time Lumi had actively offered to help with the drinking, and it was all because Tu Ming had helped her in a fight. The chivalrous spirit in her bones had already made her consider Tu Ming as her own brother. She couldn’t let her own brother suffer.

The two of them walked back, and Lumi watched from outside for a while. Realizing that continuing to drink like this wasn’t a good idea, she ran downstairs to invite the singers up. As she walked up, she reminded them: “The man in the light gray T-shirt next to you sings well. After you sing, ask him to sing. No matter who sings, we’ll pay.”

The two young singers were smart and quickly summarized: “Drink less, sing more, sing as long as possible, right?”

“Yes.”

Lumi brought the young men in and told everyone: “The singers here are really exceptional.”

The singers, who were used to banquets, quickly livened up the atmosphere. Tu Ming, of course, knew that there was no such arrangement for today; it was Lumi who had taken the initiative to find them. He remembered what Luke had said: “She may seem unreliable, but she gets things done beautifully. You’ll see in time.”

He had been Lumi’s boss for two or three months, and today was the first time he experienced this “beautiful execution.” So, she was a truly smart person and also willing to relieve others’ worries. He took out his phone and sent her a message: “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it, it was nothing.” Such a small matter warranted a special thank you, making this man too distant. Lumi didn’t like being distant with her friends.

That night, they pulled the clients to see the night view before 9 p.m. Standing on the observation deck of “Yi Ke Shu,” they saw the confluence of the three rivers. The air was clear that day, the lights along the shore were bright, and the reflections of the lights danced on the surface of the river, a floating world in a city. Lumi organized the clients to take photos: “General Chen, you look like you’re sitting on top of the misty capital, impressive!” She raised her thumb, her gesture comical, and the surrounding tourists all laughed along.

Tu Ming was also amused by her. This subordinate, aside from being a bit scatterbrained, was really flawless in other aspects. With her around, everything was lively, and everyone was happy, which was probably a kind of talent.

On the way down the mountain, Lumi secretly asked Tu Ming: “How was it, boss? Did I embarrass you with today’s meeting organization?”

“Very good.”

“Good enough for you to give me an A+ by the end of the year?”

“Not good enough for an A+.”

“Alright then, I’ll keep working hard. You don’t have to actually give me an A+, I just need to meet the standard of an A+ in your heart.”

“Why?”

“To repay you for saving my life.” Lumi clasped her hands together and ran down the steps. It was rare for her not to wear high heels that day; in a white T-shirt, jeans, and old shoes, she looked refreshing and ran with the wind, like a carefree teenage girl.