In the past, Chen Xiao had never imagined he’d challenge a girl to a spar in the boxing room—even if he wasn’t the one attacking. 

That short phrase, “wasn’t the one attacking,” somehow left a bitter aftertaste for Chen Xiao. 

Over the past three months, he had run into Lu Nan at the gym several times. He had witnessed her skills firsthand and had even held up focus pads for her punches and kicks. That was why he could make this request naturally. 

The coach asked, “Do you need me to act as the referee?” 

“No need. Just come back in twenty minutes to give me my session. This time counts toward my personal training anyway,” Chen Xiao replied, since his session was scheduled to begin now. 

The coach gladly agreed, happy to have a break, and said he’d come back in twenty minutes. 

Lu Nan clicked her tongue inwardly: What a waste of 50 or 60 yuan! 

She felt a bit regretful about the situation. 

She had originally hoped to take over some of Chen Xiao’s sessions, but things hadn’t gone according to plan—she was about to leave Hailin City. 

Out of curiosity, Lu Nan asked, “Brother Xiao, how many sessions do you have left?” 

Surprisingly, Chen Xiao understood both the disapproval in her earlier glance and the implication in her question. Feigning regret, he replied, “This is my last session.” So it looks like you won’t get a chance to take over. 

“Ah, haha…” Lu Nan laughed dryly. “What a coincidence—this is my last session too. Let’s go.” She changed the subject quickly. “I attack, you defend, right? I’m coming!” 

The ordinary phrase “I’m coming” somehow sounded incredibly cute to Chen Xiao. She looked the cutest when she was focused. 

But once Lu Nan began, he didn’t dare let his guard down. 

After all, getting knocked down by the girl he liked would be terribly embarrassing. 

Yes, he was certain he liked Lu Nan. 

And he was even more certain that if he didn’t give it his full attention and at least seventy percent of his strength, she really might knock him down. 

Straight punches, hooks, kicks. 

Lu Nan attacked seriously. The dull thuds of her gloves revealed just how much power was behind them. 

There’s no such thing as size in the ring. Chen Xiao had held pads for her enough times to know her capabilities. Lu Nan, knowing this, didn’t hold back at all. 

However, since she had already completed a private session before this, after another ten minutes of high-intensity training, she wiped the sweat from her forehead with her arm and said to Chen Xiao, “Your turn. I’m tired.” 

“You sure?” Chen Xiao flexed his wrists. 

That made Lu Nan hesitate briefly before adding, “Given the physical differences, I promise not to attack while you’re on offense.” 

Chen Xiao nodded with a smile. “Of course.” 

Trading offense and defense was definitely more interesting than just defending. 

Lu Nan was right—at just over 160cm, she had a significant physical gap compared to Chen Xiao, who was over 180cm. She had long accepted that, so all her moves emphasized agility. Even her defense wasn’t brute blocking, but more evasive in nature. 

Very smart. 

It suited her well. 

After another seven or eight minutes, Chen Xiao saw she was near her limit and suggested, “Let’s take a break.” 

Breathing heavily, Lu Nan rested her hands on her knees. Once she caught her breath, she leaned over to open the Velcro on her gloves with her teeth to free her hands. Though the gloves were her own, after many uses, they had a faint smell of sweat. 

Chen Xiao, who had already removed his gloves, offered, “Let me help.” 

But before he could act, Lu Nan had already “bitten” open the Velcro herself. 

She wrinkled her nose slightly. “I’ll go wash my hands first.” 

Chen Xiao, halfway through his gesture, watched her leave and chuckled helplessly. 

When Lu Nan came back, she saw Chen Xiao sitting on a yoga mat, one leg propped up, casually fiddling with his phone. 

“Brother Xiao, did you come find me for a reason?” Lu Nan grabbed another mat and sat down beside him. 

Chen Xiao had indeed asked the boxing coach about Lu Nan’s schedule before deciding to come—he’d even asked the coach to “accidentally” mention to Lu Nan that he would be there too. 

Even after being found out, he wasn’t embarrassed. With a serious look, he told her, “Yes, there’s something I wanted to tell you. I just found out that the mid-size distributor Hongtu Liquor in Hua’an City hasn’t renewed their contract yet because the owner and his wife are going through a divorce. The assets haven’t been divided yet, and it may even end up in court. If they go the litigation route, it could drag on for four or five months. If that happens, the company will need to find another distributor… Be mentally prepared when you get there.” 

Lu Nan nodded while unscrewing the lid of her thermos. “Thanks for the heads-up, Brother Xiao.” 

“You’re welcome.” With that, the boxing room fell quiet again. 

After sipping some warm water, Lu Nan asked, “When do you plan to return to headquarters?” 

“When are you going to Hua’an?” Chen Xiao turned to her at the same time. 

Knowing Chen Xiao’s temperament, Lu Nan answered first, “After the announcement period ends. I’ll see what the current city manager in Hua’an plans to do.” 

If he wanted to leave early, Lu Nan would take over sooner. If he intended to stay until the end of his term, she would go before the Lunar New Year to meet the local team. 

Chen Xiao replied, “The new provincial general director, Wu Chuan, and the new brand specialist for Classic Liquor will arrive in a few days. I’ll need to hand over my work, so I’ll probably leave at the end of the month. By the way, you know there’s no Classic Liquor brand specialist assigned to Hua’an City, right?” 

Lu Nan nodded—she knew. 

Hua’an had signed contracts worth 8 million last year and collected 6.5 million in payments. With that volume, the headquarters wouldn’t assign a brand specialist. 

Which was actually better. Otherwise, it’d feel like having a ‘watchdog’ constantly hovering around. Who knows what kind of people the headquarters sends as brand specialists? 

Lu Nan glanced at Chen Xiao. 

Sensing something, Chen Xiao turned his head. “I’m actually really curious—why didn’t you choose Jujiang? Even though it only has small distributors, the liquor culture is strong and the payments have been increasing for years. By all accounts, the market potential there is much better than in Hua’an.” 

Lu Nan smiled and lowered her head. “Maybe I’m just someone who likes to choose a different path from everyone else.” 

Sure, Jujiang was the safer choice. But Hua’an offered more possibilities. 

“Well, in any case, I wish you smooth sailing and a bright future,” Chen Xiao said, extending his fist. 

“Thanks,” Lu Nan replied, bumping fists with him. “Let’s both do our best.” 

Twenty minutes were up, and the boxing coach came in right on time. He even knocked and announced himself before entering… a bit strange, really. Who knows what was going through his head. 

… 

Three days passed, and with the public announcement complete, Lu Nan’s promotion was officially confirmed—there would be no more changes. 

Her coworkers—who had all been her seniors or peers—began jokingly calling her “Manager Lu.” This new title was different from her previous role as a group-purchasing manager. Lu Nan and Chen Lu took turns treating the team to afternoon tea. 

The city manager from Hua’an also contacted Lu Nan, saying he still had some work to finish. If it was convenient, she could come at the end of the month or early next month to complete the handover. 

This year’s Lunar New Year would fall in mid-February. In Yuan Chuan, they wouldn’t begin the holiday until two or three days beforehand, so the current manager had left plenty of time for the transition. Lu Nan readily accepted his offer. During this period, she could take things easy and brief Xiang Feifei on matters at Feixiang. 

On Friday afternoon, the new provincial head Wu Chuan and the new Classic Liquor brand specialist Xu Wentao arrived in Hailin City. 

Wang Xinglong and Chen Xiao, along with Li Li and Chen Lu, were at the office to welcome them. 

Chen Lu’s prompt assumption of her new role wasn’t meant to disregard Zhou Tian—it was Zhou Tian herself who was eager to complete the handover and leave as soon as possible. Even for the welcome dinner that evening, she claimed she wasn’t feeling well and wouldn’t attend. 

Manager Wang, to his credit, thoughtfully informed Lu Nan as well, since Wu Chuan would be her future supervisor. 

So, Lu Nan came over too. 

Initially, Wang Xinglong had planned to pick Wu Chuan up at the airport, but Wu Chuan declined and didn’t reveal his exact arrival time in Hailin. 

After giving it some thought, and since he couldn’t quite figure out Wu Chuan’s personality, Manager Wang decided it was better to wait quietly at the office. 

While waiting, Wang Xinglong told Jiang Xiaoyun, “Tonight we’ll use the city office’s hospitality funds to treat Director Wu to dinner. Besides me, Brother Xiao, Li Li, Chen Lu, and Lu Nan, inform Xu Yao and the other two—they need to attend as well.” 

Jiang Xiaoyun nodded. A while later, after sending the notices, she asked, “Sister Manlin wants to know if the city managers should also be notified?” 

Wang Xinglong shook his head. “Even if we inform them now, they wouldn’t make it in time. Tell He Manlin to ask Director Wu during dinner whether he wants to move the monthly meeting up or keep it as planned.” With the official head of the provincial office finally here, Manager Wang, who had been acting in the role for two months, needed to tread carefully and avoid making unilateral decisions that might upset the new boss. 

At 4:30 p.m., Wu Chuan and Xu Wentao arrived at the office. 

Wu Chuan, in his early thirties, was a tall and sturdy man, over 1.85 meters, and clearly from the north. He greeted, “Manager Wang, no need to make this so formal—we’re all on the same team now.” Evidently, he wasn’t completely unfamiliar with the provincial office’s situation; otherwise, he wouldn’t have spoken with such certainty. 

Wang Xinglong replied, “Director Wu, since you’re just arriving, it’s only right that we, as your team, give you a proper welcome. It’s just a dinner—nothing too formal.” 

Director Wu laughed and turned to Xu Wentao, who had remained silent since arrival, saying, “See that? Your Manager Wang must’ve met last year’s targets nicely—looks like his pockets are full. We should eat him poor tonight.” 

Xu Wentao, average height and appearance, wore glasses and chuckled along. He also took the opportunity to introduce himself, even though everyone already knew who he was. The group still politely welcomed Manager Xu. 

Next, everyone took turns introducing themselves to Director Wu. Lu Nan noticed Wu Chuan paid special attention to Chen Xiao—likely aware of his background, especially since he came from headquarters. 

When it was Lu Nan’s turn to introduce herself, Director Wu turned to Wang Xinglong and remarked, “Manager Wang, Hailin sure produces talent! Manager Chen is very impressive, and Manager Lu here is also outstanding. Must be something in the water here!” 

From Director Wu’s tone, Manager Wang sensed that he had a straightforward personality and smiled in response. 

However, Lu Nan was mindful not to judge by appearances. Wu Chuan might seem blunt, but he was actually quite shrewd—far more capable than Xiang Yunfeng. 

After a bit more small talk in the office, Manager Wang proposed they head to Zui Qian Wei restaurant. 

Since Director Wu had just arrived, he hadn’t bought a car or been assigned a driver yet. So, he, Wang Xinglong, Xu Wentao, and Chen Xiao all rode in Lu Nan’s car. 

When Manager Wang opened the back door for Wu Chuan, Chen Xiao went ahead and opened the front passenger door for himself. This caught Xu Wentao slightly off guard, but he quickly opened the other back door, letting Manager Wang in first before getting in himself. 

The idea of having the leaders ride in Lu Nan’s car was actually suggested by Li Li. 

Lu Nan, appreciative of Li Li’s gesture, smiled in return. 

In Li Li’s car were Chen Lu, Xu Yao, He Manlin, and Zhu Lingling. 

On the way to the restaurant, it was Wang Xinglong who dominated the conversation in Lu Nan’s car, briefing Wu Chuan on various matters about the provincial office. Occasionally, he would prompt Chen Xiao to chime in for support. Xu Wentao remained quiet the entire ride. 

Meanwhile, Li Li’s car was much livelier. The others were gossiping about the new director—how old he was, whether he was married, etc. This wasn’t a secret anyway. Zhu Lingling pushed up her glasses and said, “Director Wu is 32 and unmarried. Manager Xu is 29 and married.” A two-for-one briefing. 

The women all responded with an exaggerated “Ooh,” though it wasn’t clear what they were reacting to. Li Li laughed and shook her head as she drove: “You all…” 

At the restaurant, the seating arrangement also had to be carefully considered. 

Naturally, Wu Chuan sat at the head of the table, with Wang Xinglong on his right. 

Li Li originally intended for Chen Xiao to sit to Director Wu’s left, but he declined and instead had Li Li take that seat. He also gestured for Lu Nan to sit next to Wang Xinglong. 

At this point, Lu Nan was indeed qualified to sit beside Manager Wang. She glanced at Chen Xiao—it didn’t bother her to sit ahead of him, but she did wonder: wasn’t Xu Wentao the newcomer as well? 

Chen Xiao confirmed it with a natural gesture, pulling out the chair for her. “Lu Nan, sit here. It’s a good chance to learn from Director Wu and Manager Wang.” 

She understood Chen Xiao was backing her up and smiled in thanks. 

Later, Chen Xiao motioned for Xu Wentao to sit next to Lu Nan. Even if Manager Xu wasn’t fully aware of Chen Xiao’s background, he did know that this man would soon be promoted to deputy director of the Classic Liquor Brand Department—his future boss. There was no way he’d let Chen Xiao sit in a subordinate position. 

In the end, Chen Xiao sat next to Lu Nan, with Xu Wentao next to him. 

The other table with Li Li was simpler—Chen Lu, Xu Yao, Zhu Lingling, and He Manlin sat in order.