Tu Ming glanced at Lumi; her cheeks were fushed with red. She bent down to pick up the teacup at the edge of the table, and the white porcelain lid knocked against the cup rim with a crisp sound. Upon closer inspection, the air carried the scent of jasmine.

Lumi secretly steeled herself, wanting to feed him the jasmine tea in her mouth. Since it was so unbearable, why not both indulge and be reckless together?

Indeed, once the sheep’s skin was shed, the wolf’s nature was revealed. She held her wine glass and sat in the empty chair next to him, tilting her head to look at him. At first, her fingertips seemed to accidentally brush against his knee, and when she saw that he remained unmoved like a mountain about to collapse, she guessed he was pretending to be a big-tailed wolf, actually wanting to act out the straightforward scenes that a man and woman alone should.

Then, her palm rested on his knee and slowly moved upwards, sensing his muscles tensing, yet he still didn’t move. She leaned forward, her lips brushing against his, and the words followed closely: “Are you hot? Why don’t we take off our clothes and drink?”

Her breath was warm, her expression flirtatious, like a night monster from ancient times, wanting to suck away the scholar’s vitality. Quite seductive.

What kind of talk was this! Tu Ming criticized her fiercely in his heart.

Lumi saw Tu Ming pursing his lips without speaking, as if he was tempted. She adhered to the principle of enjoying the moment and decided to go all in.

With a determined heart, she sat on his lap, carrying the always intense fragrance of her body. This fragrance subtly infiltrates the nostrils, lingering and refusing to leave. Tu Ming’s eyebrows and eyes moved slightly, and Lumi, looking down at him from above, suddenly felt that he had a feminine appearance.

She held his face with her hands and looked into his eyes. His face was really hot; how could his face be so hot, and how could he be so handsome? Her gaze fell on his lips; the clean scent on his body was so pleasant. Lumi couldn’t resist lowering her head and biting his lips, the little wolf finally making a move.

“How about taking off our clothes and drinking?” Lumi murmured this sentence, her waist moving slightly, her breath becoming disordered, and she bit his lips.

Tu Ming slightly tilted his head back, avoiding her lips, and said to her: “Take off your clothes first.” He deliberately teased her, wanting to see how foolish she could be.

But she was not only foolish but also reckless. She didn’t want to stop.

“Then I’ll take the lead.” She took off the thin shirt, revealing the skin-colored camisole inside, which contrasted with her skin, now tinged with a tender pink from the alcohol, making her look eye-catching and attractive.

Her hair was disheveled, with a strand sticking to her lips. Tu Ming helped her tuck it behind her ear. His fingertips inadvertently touched the delicate skin behind her ear, a gentleness Lumi had never seen before. She sat unsteadily and leaned against him. Tu Ming instinctively supported her, his palm touching her skin, and their eyes met.

Having reached this point, there was no turning back. Lumi thought so and kissed him. Her tongue boldly advanced, he dodged, unwilling to let her easily succeed. Lumi was not convinced and vowed to entangle her tongue with his. Her teeth bit his lower lip, and the sharp pain made Tu Ming groan, his defenses weakening. His tongue touched hers, and she wrapped it around forcefully, sucking on it until his tongue felt numb. Lumi wanted to go further, adjusting her body, accidentally touching him, hearing his breathing become heavier. With a light touch, their eyes met, and they both understood what was happening.

Adult men and women, at a critical moment, Lumi sacrificed herself and leaned forward.

Tu Ming’s hand gently pushed her away, keeping a distance, and suddenly there was a hint of teasing in his eyes. This girl was acting foolishly, Tu Ming thought.

‘Damn it.’ Lumi cursed him in her heart. What was this!

Her fingertips floated downwards, exploring and finding a large object. She gasped and escaped from his restraint, pressing closer to him, even tempting and coaxing him: “The weather is so nice, why not take a walk?”

Tu Ming finally couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing, breaking the spell.

Tu Ming picked up Lumi and threw her onto the sofa. His mood suddenly improved, but his mouth mimicked her relentlessness: “Wouldn’t it be better if you said less? The more you say, the more mistakes you make! Sleeping with your boss doesn’t mean you can skip work, right? Do you think you’re engaging in a power-sex trade?”

As he put on his trench coat, he looked at her: “Your figure isn’t great either, why bother taking off your clothes?”

“Also, are you missing a few screws? Knowing what kind of person I am, you still bring me home? If I killed and dismembered you and put you in the freezer, no one would know!”

“Thank you for the hospitality, but the last dish wasn’t very good; the color, fragrance, and taste were all lacking.”

It was rare for Tu Ming to say so much. His words were a lesson in moral education for Lumi, urging her to mend her ways and be a good person, to put down the butcher’s knife and become a Buddha on the spot. After saying these things, he suddenly realized that he was in a particularly good mood. Seeing Lumi’s wide-eyed and puzzled expression, he found it amusing, smirked at her, and turned to leave. What did Yi Wanqiu say? My son looks upright, but he can be mischievous at times.

It took Lumi a while to react. A man had escaped from her grasp? She couldn’t believe it and looked down at her figure in disbelief. He said her figure wasn’t good? Was the guy blind? How could her figure not be good? Her figure was great!

She ran to the window in a few steps and saw Tu Ming leaving the building, walking out with his head held high. The wind blew his coat, making him look like a Taoist priest.

He acted as if nothing had happened, but she felt it was hard to end things like this.

It wasn’t that she felt embarrassed, but rather that he had aroused her interest and left her hanging, making her feel empty inside and burning with desire. She got up to gulp down some flower tea, but it was useless.

“Will.” Lumi sent a message to Tu Ming.

“Hmm?” Tu Ming replied. He guessed she wanted to say that what happened was a drunken mistake and that they would still see each other as colleagues in the future. But Lumi being Lumi, she said: “You tease me and then leave, is that human? Don’t you feel uncomfortable being left hanging? I can’t control my own desires like you can, making it go limp when you want it to. I can’t do that! Either you come up or I go down; we have to finish what we started today.”

“Please recall carefully, did I tease you?”

Lumi thought carefully and concluded that he did: “Rolling up your sleeves was teasing me!”

“Huh?” Tu Ming sent a question mark; he didn’t understand.

“Because your hands and arms are really nice, I couldn’t help but take a look, and my eyes wandered to other places. Anyway, you were teasing me, so now come and help me solve this!” Lumi was being shameless; she really wanted to see him in bed.

Tu Ming didn’t have many romantic encounters because people like him were too principled. Occasionally, in his teenage years, girls would give him love letters, which he would return unopened. Being with Xing Yun wasn’t a result of a fiery passion but rather a long period of getting to know each other, slowly feeling that marriage seemed like a possibility.

A woman like Lumi, who spoke without restraint and swept through like a gale, was his first encounter. For a moment, he didn’t know how to respond to her to resolve the current predicament. He also felt that he shouldn’t let her fool around and let things get out of hand like this.

“I didn’t drink too much, I’m serious. Do you want to come back now? We’re both adults, and it’s a matter of mutual consent.” Lumi was more determined after being frustrated. She refused to believe that Tu Ming wouldn’t play along. She left no room for retreat.

After a long time, Tu Ming replied to her: “Calm down, calm down. Why not call your ex-boyfriend? Or one of your male friends?” He sat in the car with a designated driver, watching an old man carrying a green stick pass by, and suddenly grinned. Tu Ming thought, there are really too many interesting people and things in the world.

“Thank you for inviting me to drink.” He expressed his gratitude to Lumi, very sincerely.

For Tu Ming, what had just happened was not a mere interlude. He didn’t take Lumi seriously, nor did he think she was particularly promiscuous because of it.

Instead, he felt that her enthusiasm was mixed with mischief, like an unruly child who didn’t like to be controlled, which was also quite amusing. What he didn’t know was that Lumi had really taken a liking to him. It wasn’t that she wanted to be with him in any particular way; she just had a rebellious streak, and his parting words were infuriating, making her eager to prove her charm. Not being able to sleep with Tu Ming represented a lack of charm on her part.

Who was Lumi? In this world, there were only men she didn’t like; there were none she couldn’t sleep with. Tu Ming was too insulting. After they had gotten so close, he just tidied up his clothes and left. Wasn’t that despicable?

“Flora, he ran off after we got to that point. He wouldn’t be… right?” Lumi asked her good friend Shang Zhi Tao, causing Shang Zhi Tao to tease her: “Lumi, you’re killing me, how can you be so funny!”

“What’s so funny about me?”

“Aren’t you upset? He actually escaped from your stunning beauty.” Shang Zhi Tao imagined Lumi in her pajamas and added: “He might really be… After all, every time I see you in your ‘battle attire,’ I feel like I should become a man.”

“Isn’t that right!! Who could stand this? He said my figure wasn’t good. What’s wrong with my figure?” Lumi looked at herself in the mirror, left and right, and no matter how she looked at it, she thought she was attractive.

“You’re right! As a woman, I love it too! He must be…!”

Yes, he must be.

Lumi snorted and jumped off the sofa to take a shower. As the hot water flowed down from above, she closed her eyes to rinse her hair and suddenly remembered Tu Ming’s clean and refreshing appearance. She opened her eyes abruptly.

It’s over.

He wasn’t… His ‘brother’ was so good; he must be…

He is, and I am too. Can’t we meet in bed just once?

The most surprising thing about someone like Lumi was that after such an incident with Tu Ming, she didn’t feel the least bit embarrassed. There was only a spirited determination to bring the escaping Tu Ming to justice. When she encountered Tu Ming at work, she wouldn’t avoid him but would meet his gaze with her bright eyes, carrying a hint of accusation, reproaching Tu Ming for his retreat.

Tu Ming, on the other hand, felt no shame. Being able to control his desires was something to be proud of. He was a human, not an animal, and the fundamental difference between humans and animals lay in their ability to control their desires. He was even conservative in his thinking, unwilling to engage in any ‘sexual’ activity unrelated to love.

Not letting his character degenerate was his most basic requirement for himself. He felt that he had already degenerated by going home with a girl, allowing her to fool around, and even sarcastically criticizing her. Tu Ming felt that he was particularly inhumane.

When Lumi turned into the conference room for a meeting, she placed her computer on the table and glanced at Tu Ming as she leaned back. In public, she maintained a certain decorum.

Tu Ming was looking down at his computer, and if he wasn’t mistaken, it contained the report he was going to present today. He always prepared everything thoroughly, more so than any other boss.

Lumi observed him carefully because her good friend Shang Zhi Tao had given her a suggestion: Know yourself and your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles.

Tu Ming acted as if nothing had happened, allowing Lumi to stare at him with burning eyes. She was full of aggressive and competitive spirit, but he remained unmoved, at least on the surface. Inside, however, his heart raced. He wasn’t used to being looked at so directly and nakedly. It made him feel as if Lumi’s gaze was stripping him bare.

“Is everyone here?” Tu Ming asked, avoiding Lumi’s gaze: “If everyone’s here, let’s begin.” His evasion carried a hint of adolescent awkwardness, which was quite rare.

Tu Ming took notes diligently as he listened to everyone’s reports, jotting down points he wanted to discuss. His phone occasionally beeped, and he silenced it without looking.

Tu Ming asked about project progress and assigned tasks for the end of the year. When it came to Lumi’s turn, he skipped over her because her previous project had not yet been completed.

Another person might have proactively indicated that they were about to finish and ready to take on another task, but Lumi didn’t. She was content with average performance.

When it was time to leave work, Lumi slung her bag over her shoulder and walked out. She had just reached the lobby when she received a message from Tu Ming: “Come to my office.”

Lumi wanted to reply that she was off work, but remembering his disheveled breath from the day before, she turned around and ran back upstairs.

The heels of her long boots thudded dully on the carpet as she stopped at Tu Ming’s office door, knocking formally before entering after he responded.

“Sit down.” Tu Ming pointed to the chair opposite him and stood up to place a bottle of water in front of her.

“I’m not thirsty.” I don’t want water, I want meat, Lumi almost blurted out her insolent thoughts.

“I need a favor.” Tu Ming decided not to beat around the bush and to get straight to the point.

“Just say the word, and I’ll help you. How will you thank me? How about coming over to my place for another meal?”

Tu Ming gave her a meaningful look, and Lumi stopped her nonsense, raising her eyebrows.

“Help me go to Wuhan. There’s a project there that needs attention, and I can’t be in two places at once. Luke recommended you, saying you have good relations with various local people.” When Luke recommended Lumi, he also said: “Send her there, and we’ll have a few days of peace.”

“The Xin’an project, right? No problem. Am I going with the finance department? To settle accounts and collect money?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, leave it to me. But I can’t go for nothing.” Lumi crossed her legs: “I don’t want a low performance rating.”

“Performance is evaluated based on the whole year’s work.”

“Then I’ve worked really hard this year.” Lumi bargained as if she were at a vegetable market, actually just joking around with Tu Ming. She enjoyed teasing him now; sometimes he got it, and sometimes he didn’t, with inconsistent reactions.

“What efforts have you made for work this year?” Tu Ming asked her.

“There are too many to list. My exhibition tour work was outstanding, the cross-departmental training project was also a success, and I’ve wrapped up various difficult projects. An employee like me should have an A+ performance rating! How about I tell you more about it at my place? Today’s as good a day as any.” Lumi stood up, placing her hands on the table, her slightly open collar revealing a bit of scenery. She was wearing a single-layer mesh and wide lace-edged bra in a water green color, which contrasted with her snow-white skin. From Tu Ming’s angle, he could see half of the cup, which nicely contained her breasts.

He stiffened his face, leaned back in his chair, and gave her a stern look: “This is the office.”

“Okay, next time then.” Lumi stood up, seeing Tu Ming’s pursed lips, realizing that he wasn’t in the mood for jokes. She mimicked his expression: “What did I do wrong? I’m seriously discussing work with my boss. What did I do wrong!”

Knowing when to stop, she turned and left.

She had intended to flirt with him a little, but she hadn’t gauged the extent well and ended up angering him.

Lumi knew when to stop.

It was rare for her to go straight home after work. As Shang Zhi Tao would say, Lumi, who loved to play, had lost interest in entertainment and was focused on sleeping with Will. Their daily conversations had shifted from mutual praise to “Can Lumi sleep with Will today?”

“No luck, I leaned on his desk and got a stern look from him.” She used this sentence to summarize her relationship with Will for the day.

“Poor thing.” Shang Zhi Tao sent an “Is he not…” expression, offering her moral support.

Autumn had arrived, and when Lumi wasn’t playing, she tended to be lazy and sleepy. She arrived home, ate a few bites, took a shower, and curled up in bed. She didn’t have any grand ambitions; if she had to have one, it would be to live a life of comfort and health. Once, while drinking, another good friend, Sun Yu, said to her: “People like you and me won’t be easily accepted by the world. In everyone’s eyes, you’re a bad woman, and I’m not a woman at all. Many people want something to happen with ‘bad’ women but may not want to take responsibility.”

Lumi agreed with Sun Yu and said: “Screw the labels of good and bad. I live my life this way, and whether it’s good or bad, I’m happy!”

At that moment, the “bad” woman was lying in bed, with a fire quietly burning in her heart. She had been like this since childhood, not cherishing things that came easily to her. After being scolded by Tu Ming, she was convinced that he was half a good person.

Where were the truly good men? It all depended on where their pants were dropped and whether they could handle the consequences. The principle was clear, like conducting a science experiment, with the book stating what would happen when this and that were combined. She understood it perfectly but still wanted to try it herself.

She sent a message to Tu Ming: “I just looked at the moon outside the window, it’s really beautiful. Would you like to admire it together?”

“I have plans.” Tu Ming replied. He really did have plans; he was going to his parents’ house to pick up something: “Also, your behavior today wasn’t very upright. I hope you’ll change.”

“What’s upright?”

“At least conduct yourself properly.”

Lumi thought Tu Ming was missing a screw. Why should she conduct herself properly in front of a man she was interested in? Would being proper help her sleep with him? Obviously, it wouldn’t help the story develop at all! She prepared to send a long speech to Tu Ming about the way men and women should interact.

Lumi held her phone to type, her hand grew tired, and the phone almost hit her face. Before she could send the message, an unknown call came in. She answered it and heard Zhang Xiao’s voice: “Where are you?”

“I’m changing the world!” Lumi didn’t want to talk to him much, nor did she want to cause another scene. Her feelings for Zhang Xiao were truly over, and she was grateful to Tu Ming for making her realize that other men could be quite interesting.

“Change the world, come and change me! I’m sick to the core, come on, look at me again!” Zhang Xiao’s surroundings were noisy; he had obviously been drinking heavily.

“You’ve changed your phone number to call me, haven’t you! We’re even now. If you harass me again, I’ll call the police!”

“Call them now! I’m coming to your place!”

“You dare!”

“Watch me!”

Lumi hung up the phone, jumped out of bed, and grabbed a baton from the bedside cabinet. Breaking up like this was truly embarrassing.

Today, she had to make a clean break with Zhang Xiao. She was sick and tired of being bothered by him. She believed that the best breakup was one without entanglement, leaving good memories, and even being able to think fondly of each other in the future. Even maintaining a peaceful friendship was good. But what was happening now?

She had just finished dressing when Tu Ming’s voice message came in: “You can cancel the flight to Wuhan; the other party has changed the date.”

“Okay.” Lumi was out of breath from the commotion: “I’ll cancel it later.” Her tone was not pleasant.

“What are you doing?”

“Fighting!”

“Where?”

“None of your business.” Lumi ended the voice message and called Lu Qing: “Ask my uncle to bring a few apprentices to scare Zhang Xiao.” Lumi’s uncle, before retirement, was the deputy director of a police station and had several apprentices. Now retired, he had become a dedicated citizen and occasionally helped his apprentices maintain order.

“Is this considered calling the police?” Lu Qing joked with her: “Look at my sister, there’s actually a day when she needs to call the police.” Before she could finish, Lumi had already hung up.

Lu Qing sensed that Lumi was really angry and quickly called her father, asking him to find two apprentices who were off duty to help. Lu Qing was timid and afraid of trouble: “Dad, you have to be quick. I’m worried Lumi might get hurt.”

On the other end, Tu Ming hung up the voice message, sighed, and quickly left the company.

He found Lumi’s residential complex based on his memory, parked the car, and ran inside. It was late at night, and the elderly residents of the complex had gone to bed early; everything was dark.

When he arrived, he saw Lumi’s ex-boyfriend standing in front of her, looking agitated. A few people stood not far away, smoking. The air was filled with the smell of alcohol; it seemed they had all been drinking a lot. Did Lumi have to fight every day? How did he end up with such an employee? He found a relatively hidden spot to stand. If there was no fight, he would quietly leave, saving himself the awkward greetings.

“Lumi, we’ve been together for so many years. Sometimes I feel like you’re really heartless. Even if you were raising a dog, you’d develop feelings for it.”

“That’s not a fair comparison. I’m not a dog, and I didn’t raise one.” Lumi didn’t like this analogy. I’m in a proper relationship, and you’re comparing it to raising a dog? Raising a dog would be easier! “Don’t you know I hate it when men act like this? If I knew you’d be like this, I’d never have dated you. Where’s your cool demeanor?” Lumi scolded.

Zhang Xiao: “You’re drunk and calling me, aren’t you annoying?”

After saying these words, she noticed a person standing in the shadows not far away and was taken aback. This boss was quite amusing, always talking about morality and uprightness, but when he heard there was going to be a fight, he came faster than a rabbit. Was he that eager for a fight? Why not fight me instead?

“Let’s go! You’re really annoying me.”

Tu Ming didn’t come, and Lumi wanted to beat Zhang Xiao up badly. But with Tu Ming there, she lost her fire. She couldn’t drag her boss into this again; if he got hurt, she wouldn’t be able to bear it. Lumi turned to leave, but Zhang Xiao grabbed her wrist.

Zhang Xiao used force, and Lumi’s wrist hurt. She coldly told him: “Let go.”

“I haven’t finished talking yet!”

“What’s there to say?”

Zhang Xiao started acting like a hooligan, exhausting Lumi’s last bit of patience. She bent down to pick up the baton and hit him with it. The fearless look on her face was truly frightening. Before anyone could rush forward, Tu Ming stood between them: “Stop it. They can solve their own problems.”

“Who are you?” One of them rubbed his eyes: “Damn! Isn’t this the same bastard from last time?” He pushed Tu Ming, and a fight broke out.

Tu Ming took a step back and grabbed one of them by the wrist: “Don’t be ridiculous!”

“What are you doing?” Lumi’s uncle, Lu Guofu, arrived with two apprentices.

Seeing the situation, he shouted: “Fighting in public? Do you want to go to jail?” Lu Guofu slapped Zhang Xiao on the shoulder: “I thought you were quite open-minded. What’s wrong? Did the breakup take away your dignity?”

Zhang Xiao covered his arm and didn’t speak. He had just been beaten by Lumi with the baton and realized that they could never be together again.

When Lumi cared, she called him her heart and soul, but when she didn’t want him anymore, she was ruthless.

Zhang Xiao felt distressed, thinking that he had made a mistake by drinking that much. He liked Lumi so much, and every day with her was happy. No one would ever be better than Lumi.

He wiped his face: “Alright, I won’t cause trouble anymore. I understand that Lumi doesn’t want me anymore. I won’t look for her again.”

“You said the same thing last time!”

“I won’t do it again. I understand now that my eyes can’t tolerate sand. Take care.”

Zhang Xiao finally left, and the others left with him.

The remaining people stood in the autumn wind, looking at each other.

Lu Guofu saw Tu Ming standing still and asked him: “Who are you! Why aren’t you leaving yet?” He was good at intimidating people.

“He’s my boss,” Lumi said. “He came to help me when he heard I was being bullied.”

“Oh, I see.” Lu Guofu nodded, sizing up Tu Ming: “So, how did you plan to help? By taking the beating for Lumi? Next time, call the police. Don’t just try to be a hero! You’ll regret it if you really get hurt!” Lu Guofu scolded Tu Ming and reminded Lumi to go home quickly, sometimes giving him a call. He walked away with his hands behind his back, very imposing.

Tu Ming watched Lu Guofu walk away and thought that every member of the Lu family was cut from the same cloth. He glanced at the baton in Lumi’s hand and couldn’t help but say: “Quite the arsenal you have.”

“In the world of martial arts, you need something to protect yourself,” Lumi said with a raised eyebrow, not taking Tu Ming’s teasing seriously. This was nothing; she had everything from pepper spray to chili water.

“Is fighting a daily occurrence for you?” Tu Ming asked her.

“It depends on how much I’m provoked,” Lumi said, feeling tired. She slumped onto a wooden chair and patted the seat next to her: “Come on, sit here.”

Tu Ming looked at Lumi’s legs, which were spread out carelessly, and sat in the adjacent chair.

“Why did you come? To save a damsel in distress? Were you afraid I’d get hurt?” Lumi spoke casually, but the answer wasn’t important. What mattered was that he had come. This person was worth getting to know; when trouble arose, he didn’t hide, even if it didn’t concern him.

Tu Ming didn’t answer her directly but instead said: “As my subordinate, I need to set three rules with you: no breaking the law, no fighting, and no slacking off. Can you do that?”

“That’s higher than the previous requirements. Before, it was just no tardiness, no early departures, and no slacking off. So, what’s this about? You won’t catch me being late or leaving early anymore?”

Lumi chuckled: “You really do have a wide range of concerns! Considering we’ve fought side by side twice, I’ll agree to it. Next time I fight, I’ll report to you first!” She patted the chair: “Why are you afraid to sit next to me? Are you worried I’ll eat you? It’s a public place; what can I do to you? Come on, sit here!”

She couldn’t change her way of speaking.

Tu Ming sighed and stood up: “Alright, it’s getting late. Go to sleep.”

“Are you just going to leave like that? What if they come back? I’m a weak woman; I can’t handle them!”

“A weak woman? You weren’t weak when you were swinging that baton.” Despite saying this, Tu Ming sat back down: “Go upstairs. I’ll sit here for a while longer and make sure everything’s okay before I leave.”

Lumi didn’t stand on ceremony with him and went upstairs. She leaned on the windowsill, looking down at him, curious about how long he would stay. The thin moonlight shone on him, and the night wind blew through his trench coat. He seemed cold, stood up, tightened his collar, and left.

It had only been a few minutes. Hmph.

Lumi popped a piece of dark chocolate into her mouth and glanced out to see Tu Ming returning. It seemed he had come back because of the cold and was taking a walk around the building.

He paced back and forth, inside and out, for over an hour.

Lumi watched him walk, thinking that there were still such foolish people in the world, not seeking romance, but simply helping others. If you just said you were cold, I’d definitely let you upstairs and warm you up inside and out. But you’re not interested, are you!

“It’s almost dawn; aren’t you going to sleep? Should I invite you upstairs to share a bed?” She sent a message to Tu Ming, who glanced at it and quickly typed: “I’m going back. If there’s anything, ask that uncle.”

He left.

Tu Ming didn’t realize his arm was bruised until he entered his home. The guy had been drunk and hadn’t held back. It was too late to go to his parents’ house to pick up things; the night had just slipped away. He felt that ever since he joined Ling Mei, many things had started to spiral out of control: difficult subordinates, complicated social relationships, and frequent fights.

The next day, when he went home for dinner and helped Yi Wanqiu wash vegetables, he rolled up his sleeves, revealing the bruises on his arm. It was too late to hide it. Yi Wanqiu saw it and found it odd: “What have you been up to lately? Why do you keep getting injured?”

“It’s nothing.” Tu Ming tried to brush it off with a simple “it’s nothing,” but Yi Wanqiu wouldn’t let it go: “This isn’t right. Once could be an accident from helping someone, but twice can’t be an accident. You should at least explain why you’re getting hurt.”

“It was just a careless bump.”

Tu Ming refused to tell Yi Wanqiu that he had been in two fights in a row. She would go crazy if she found out her refined son was fighting after turning thirty. She would definitely want to investigate further. If she discovered that her son had been fighting twice for a woman, there would be two possible outcomes: either she would pressure him to marry, or she would think the woman was trouble and tell him to stay away. Tu Ming knew Yi Wanqiu would choose the latter.

“Be more careful in the future,” Yi Wanqiu reminded him. “That’s quite a bump!”

“Okay.”

Tu Ming quietly ate dinner with his parents. Yi Wanqiu wanted to ask him about his meeting with Xing Yun but ultimately decided against it. However, Tu Yanjing asked: “Have you met any new people of the opposite sex recently?”

“Other than colleagues, no.”

“You should interact with more people.”

“I’m not looking to remarry,” Tu Ming said to Tu Yanjing. “I’m not fond of socializing either. It’s too complicated, and I find it tiring. I’ve been married once; I know how it is.”

“Whether you marry again or not isn’t important. What’s important is to interact with people. Otherwise, what do you do when you’re not working?”

“I have friends too.”

“Those friends are either doing research or traveling around the world; they’re busier than you. Why not make some new friends? People can’t be islands.”

“Okay, I’ll try to make some new friends.” Tu Ming was just humoring Tu Yanjing, but he was also thinking about what constituted a friend. Did people who fought, drank, and ate together count? If so, his unpredictable subordinate should be considered his new friend.

When Tu Ming left, Yi Wanqiu packed a pound of braised beef for him: “This should last you two days. Come back on the weekend, and I’ll make more.”

“Okay, thank you, Mom.”

“Do you cook at night?”

“Occasionally.”

Tu Ming was too lazy to cook and usually made do with something quick outside. Yi Wanqiu never thought much of it before, but since his divorce, she felt her son was quite pitiful, not living as vibrantly as others, and always seemed lonely. She didn’t want to say too much and could only make things for him to take home.

After Tu Ming arrived home, showered, and sat in his study to read, his phone rang. He glanced at it, and sure enough, it was Lumi. She asked: “Boss, are you asleep?”

Tu Ming didn’t reply.

“Come out for a late-night snack! I found a hidden gem of a restaurant; it’s delicious!”

“No, thanks.”

“Not interested in a late-night snack? How about a walk? Under the moonlight, with a handsome man and a beautiful woman, how romantic!”

“No, thanks.”

“Well, I’ll ask again tomorrow. Good night.”

Her approach to flirting was quite cliche, with a hint of mischief, and not serious at all. Tu Ming frowned and tossed his phone aside.

Lumi was amused after sending the message and couldn’t help but tell Shang Zhi Tao: “It’s so funny, teasing him is so entertaining. Why doesn’t he block me?”

“So, did you sleep with him today?” Shang Zhi Tao asked her.

“No.”

“Do you still want to sleep with him as much as yesterday?”

“Of course.”

Lumi was playful and thought Tu Ming was different from other men. He was so proper; no matter what she said, nothing seemed to surprise him. The more he was like this, the more Lumi found him amusing. She sent a message to one of Tu Ming’s former subordinates: “Wumeng, I want to ask you something. What are Will’s hobbies?”

Wumeng replied quickly: “Will likes tennis!”

“Great! Where does he play?”

“I think their team rents a venue; they go every weekend. Shall I ask for you?” Wumeng volunteered. Lumi was delighted: “Yes, please ask!”

Wumeng asked quickly; she asked a colleague at the company who was on the same amateur team as Tu Ming. Soon, she sent the details of their tennis schedule to Lumi, who saw that it wasn’t far from her. Then she remembered, isn’t my second aunt at this venue?

“Lumi, I have something to tell you. Can you keep it a secret?” Wumeng sent a message.

“What is it?”

“I’m joining Ling Mei next week.”

“Come on! That’s great, let’s play together!”

Lumi didn’t care where the new colleagues came from or who they were affiliated with. These things didn’t matter to her. She only cared about whether her own little world was bright and open; everything else was irrelevant to her.

“Would you misunderstand me?” Wumeng asked her.

“Misunderstand what?”

“For example, that I’m Will’s person.”

“Aren’t you?” Lumi teased her and then said: “Is it bad to be the boss’s person? What’s there to be afraid of? I wish I were Will’s person! Having the boss’s protection isn’t bad, right?” Lumi genuinely felt this way. Who wouldn’t want a big, strong leg to hold onto in the workplace? It would make things so much easier! No, wait, I wish there was a part of me in Will and a part of Will in me!

“Will is very fair; he just helped me submit my resume.”

Wumeng didn’t understand Lumi; her explanation was unnecessary. Lumi didn’t ask any more questions and just welcomed her: “Welcome to Ling Mei. Since you’re close with Will, help me put in a good word for me when you can, so he’ll stop picking on me all the time.”

“Does Will always target you?”

“You bet! He’s always watching my clock-in and clock-out times. It’s tough being his subordinate.”

“Haha, I sympathize with you. Will didn’t used to watch the clock; maybe his management style has changed. And he’s not the kind of person who would change his principles just because of a few good words.” Wumeng seriously explained to Lumi what kind of person Tu Ming was.

“Then let me fend for myself! Hahahaha! Good night, sleep early.”

After saying that, she tossed her phone aside and snuggled in bed to watch a series.

Lumi felt like a useless person.

She loved wasting time like this, doing what she liked. There were so many handsome men in the videos, so many interesting stories, and her fingertips held a melon seed. Next to her was a big box of ice cream, and with a spoon, she scooped a piece into her mouth. The chill made her feel refreshed.

As Lu Guoqing would say: Not striving is against the core values.

Lumi always nodded: “You’re right.”

But in her heart, she felt that Lu Guoqing was wrong. I’m living well and not causing trouble for society; that’s also a value.

Lumi suddenly panicked, with the ice cream still in her mouth, she sprang up from the bed like a carp: Values? Values! Am I thinking about values when I’m alone?