Even though they had joined the company around the same time, Lu Nan had already taken a huge lead by late September and was now getting ready to take the next step. 

It was no exaggeration to say that not only had she left behind the other college graduates who joined at the same time, even someone like Chen Lu, a senior colleague, couldn’t keep up with the speed of her promotion. 

To say that Xiang Feifei had no thoughts about this at all would be a lie. 

But she was a generous person. 

Her major was psychology, and even when she felt the pressure from how excellent Lu Nan was in every aspect, she had already talked herself through it several times. 

Now, hearing Lu Nan calmly say, “Yes, I do plan to compete for the city manager position,” 

Xiang Feifei genuinely felt happy for Lu Nan and said to her, “You’ve got this!” 

Lu Nan gave her a hug: “Thank you, Fei Fei.” 

Smelling the sweet, warm fragrance on Lu Nan, Xian Feifei thought to herself: It’s no wonder I don’t feel jealous. When someone is just a little better than me, I can still try to catch up. But Lu Nan’s excellence is far beyond just a little. People like her are meant to be mentors and guides! With her clearing the path ahead, I won’t slack off… Come to think of it, it’s been two months since we last played mahjong during work hours, hasn’t it? That’s the influence she’s had on us. 

…… 

On Sunday morning, Lu Nan drove to the apartment complex where her mother rented a place. 

“So secretive. You wouldn’t say clearly over the phone yesterday. What exactly are we doing today?” Ms. Huang asked as she wiped her face. “And I even have to put on light makeup?” 

Lu Nan nodded. “Yeah.” 

In recent years, Ms. Huang really hadn’t been in the mood to care about her appearance. 

But women—who doesn’t like to feel pretty? 

She had been quite happy recently when her daughter gave her a New Year’s gift: a makeup kit and a lipstick in a shade that suited her. 

However, back then, mother and daughter hadn’t fully reconciled yet, so she held back and didn’t open it. 

Now, of course, she had opened it and used it for several days. 

“Can you help me trim my eyebrows? The stray hairs around them are growing out, and it doesn’t look good when I draw them.” Ms. Huang even took the initiative to make a request now. 

Alright, Lu Nan picked up the eyebrow razor and asked, “You want it natural?” 

“Hmm, not too thin, my face is a bit big, thin ones won’t look good.” Ms. Huang sat up straight, not moving except for her lips. 

It’s not that her face is big. 

Lu Nan inherited her face shape from her mother, a standard oval face. She had seen old photos and knew her mother had the same face shape when she was young. As for now—Lu Nan suggested: “Mom, maybe you should eat less sugarcane and nuts.” It’s not that your face is big; it’s your jaw muscles. 

Ms. Huang gave her a look. Thinking about what her eldest sister had said—“Nan Nan doesn’t eat snacks anymore”—she felt a bit sour and said, “Nuts are good for the brain. You should learn to eat them too.” As she said it, she felt a little sad. When did it become a thing where a kid has to learn to eat snacks? 

Lu Nan shook her head. After so many years of not eating them, she really didn’t have the desire for those things anymore. 

After trimming the eyebrows, Lu Nan said, “Let me help you with the eyeliner too.” 

Alright. Now emotionally settled and determined to pay more attention to her appearance, Ms. Huang continued to voice her preferences. “Make it a thin, inner eyeliner…” She chatted with her daughter as she remembered, “When we were young, lots of people got their eyebrows and eyeliner tattooed. After a while, they faded into green, blue, red—every color imaginable. Good thing I never did that.” 

Lu Nan nodded: “Yeah, the pigments used back then weren’t good. But now, it should be much better.” 

Ms. Huang stubbornly shook her head: “Same thing, I don’t want to do it.” 

“Alright, how’s this?” Lu Nan gently turned her mother’s face to adjust it to the mirror. 

Ms. Huang said, “It looks fine, just like this.” 

Seeing her mother starting to care about her appearance, Lu Nan felt happy inside. 

And there was a bit of amusement: In a few years, you’ll definitely think semi-permanent eyebrows are amazing, I guarantee it. 

After seeing her mother finish the light makeup and watching her hesitate between a coat and a down jacket, Lu Nan said, “It’s windy outside, you should wear the down jacket. The base layer… let me find something for you.” Once inside with air conditioning, you’ll need to take off your outerwear, so the base layers need to be well matched. 

Ms. Huang really trusted her daughter’s sense of style—after all, her daughter had always been fashion-conscious, even as a kid. 

After they left the house and got into the car, Lu Nan said, “Today, I’m taking you to an event at a place called the Book Lover’s Club. I think it’s interesting, so I had an old member recommend you and applied for your membership. They hold events once or twice a month on Sundays, and you’ll get a text about it in advance. You can come when you have time.” 

Ms. Huang hesitated a bit and asked, “Are these events attended by people with high academic degrees?” 

Lu Nan shook her head: “No, no, most of the people are small and medium-sized entrepreneurs who are there to expand their networks and resources.” 

Hearing this, Ms. Huang didn’t feel any lighter. She couldn’t help but start picking at her nails. 

Seeing this, Lu Nan felt a bit sorry, but she would never say, “Then we won’t go.” 

Her time in Hailin City wasn’t long. By the latest, she would have to transfer by the beginning of next year. After that, her mother would have to support their small business alone. 

She was confident her mother was a good choice to “maintain” things, as over the years, Lu Nan had come to understand her very well—Ms. Huang was someone who preferred stability and didn’t like to take risks. 

Her acceptance of new things was low, and even some normal business loans seemed risky to her. 

That wasn’t a good thing. 

The market now was different from the seller’s market of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Back then, materials were scarce, and as long as you could get goods circulating, you could earn something. 

But now, it’s different. The internet has shortened distances, the foreign trade industry is booming, but! Those foreign clients are not fools—they’ll eventually find domestic suppliers, and when that happens, the profits for intermediaries will be squeezed. 

Though this problem wouldn’t show up for many years in the import-export trade, Lu Nan hoped her mother could grow her knowledge and learn to think more deeply as she gradually ventured out. 

Teacher Zhang, Mr. Yang and his wife, and the members of the Book Lover’s Club would all be part of the social circle her mother would need to adapt to in the future. 

The speaker for this event had chosen the Sofitel Hotel as the venue. Lu Nan handed the car keys to a valet with ease and let him park the car. 

Perhaps her daughter’s natural action gave Ms. Huang a bit of confidence. After entering the lobby, she noticed the Yuan Chuan Collection store and quietly said to her daughter, “Look, your company’s store.” 

Lu Nan smiled lightly: “I used to stand in for a colleague here for a day. It was really boring standing there all day.” 

Ms. Huang expanded on the topic: “The display stores set up in hotel lobbies aren’t meant to sell much. There are hardly any customers each day, so of course it’s boring. Young girls doing this job, it’s like they’re eating youth food; there’s no future in it. Honestly, it’s better to use the free time to get a certification or something. The skills you learn will be yours.” 

This time, Lu Nan felt that her mother was right. The job of a shop attendant truly lacked “irreplaceability” and had clear requirements about the employee’s age and appearance. 

The term “youth food” was not wrong. 

Lu Nan quietly leaned closer to Ms. Huang and said, “Mom, don’t worry. I make a living with my skills.” 

Ms. Huang didn’t say anything more; after all, she had already compromised with her daughter, and saying more wouldn’t help. 

However, after chatting for a bit, Ms. Huang seemed much less tense than when they first arrived. 

Familiar with the place, Lu Nan guided Ms. Huang to the sign-in area, subtly slowing down her actions so Ms. Huang could follow her example—handing out business cards, signing in, collecting badges, picking up welcome gifts, and so on. 

“Lu Nan?” A voice greeted them. It was Xiao Song, who was helping at the sign-in desk. “Long time no see.” 

Lu Nan smiled. “I’ve been really busy last month, just got some free time. Today I brought my mom to sit for a bit. She’s running a small trading company, also in the CIMC Building.” 

Xiao Song, while his speech could be a bit grandiose, was polite to elders. He greeted Ms. Huang with, “Hello, Auntie,” then enthusiastically led Lu Nan and her mother to their seats. 

“You sure it’s okay for you to step away?” Lu Nan asked. 

Xiao Song shook his head. “It’s fine. The speaker arrived early today, and all the important guests are here.” He arranged a good seat for them, chatted for a bit, then left. 

After Xiao Song left, Ms. Huang casually asked, “Is that your friend?” 

Ms. Huang, you’re overdoing it. Lu Nan helplessly replied, “Just a classmate.” 

Ms. Huang nodded and didn’t say much, but after a moment, she suddenly remarked, “He seems a little too lively. 

Lu Nan sighed, “Mom, I’m only twenty-three.” 

“Almost twenty-four.” 

Luckily, a person sitting next to them approached for a chat and business card exchange, interrupting what Ms. Huang might have said next. Otherwise, Lu Nan might have considered leaving her mom here and running off. 

When the speaker started sharing a good book, Lu Nan subtly observed her mother: Hmm, she must be listening. 

During the break, she even saw Ms. Huang searching for the book from today’s talk on her phone. 

By the end of the event, Ms. Huang had exchanged over ten business cards, most of them from people in logistics (shipping forwarding companies)—clearly, they all saw her as a potential client for their businesses; a few were from training companies, also seeing her as a potential client. 

Back in the car, Ms. Huang sighed, “No field is easy.” 

Lu Nan chuckled to herself, then said, “The logistics company I used to work at had advantages on the US-Canada line and the South America-US route. Other international shipping companies couldn’t compete with their pricing. But if you have goods for other continents, you can compare quotes from other shipping companies; also, training companies vary a lot. If you’re interested, I can recommend one… One of my clients has good training programs.” 

Ms. Huang wanted to ask her daughter: How much information do you keep in your head every day? 

As if she’d read her mother’s mind, Lu Nan laughed again. “This is a salesperson’s professional habit. Collecting all kinds of information, categorizing and differentiating it—because you never know when it might come in handy.” 

“You’re just making excuses,” Ms. Huang muttered, then added, “Don’t overthink things. Use your brain less. I’m worried about you losing hair.” 

Well, at least she’s found a way to express concern without sounding harsh. 

Lu Nan teased back, “It’s staying up late that causes hair loss. Thinking just makes your brain sharper.” 

“I can’t win with you.” 

A while later, Ms. Huang couldn’t help but ask, “How’s your preparation for the city manager position? How are you doing with it?” 

“Pretty much done. Want me to recite my speech for you?” Lu Nan asked. 

“Focus on driving for now… you can recite it later.” 

After dropping her mom off at her place, they had dinner together—mainly her mom eating, while Lu Nan just had a bowl of clear broth with the fat skimmed off. 

As Ms. Huang skimmed the broth, she couldn’t help but grumble, “Eating so little, are you trying to become a fairy?” 

But she no longer forced her daughter to eat main dishes, as the recent time spent together made her realize that although Lu Nan ate less for dinner, her health was perfectly fine—she was energetic and strong… 

After dinner, Ms. Huang said, “Alright, recite it for me.” 

Lu Nan sat in the chair, straightened her back, and immediately put on the perfect smile: “Good evening, leaders. My name is Lu Nan. I joined the company on June 15 last year, became a full employee on September 20, and currently serve as the group-purchasing business supervisor in the Hailin City office. I’m now applying for the position of City Manager. Let me briefly summarize my work over the past six months and the results I’ve achieved…”