This is not the first time Lu Nan has encountered this kind of situation. 

In her previous life, when relatives and friends knew she was selling alcohol—even though she had seriously explained that she wasn’t selling alcohol—they would still try to introduce business to her. They would want to buy one or two bottles or, like Jiang Chutian’s friends, buy alcohol for a banquet, picking up three, five, or eight bottles. 

Lu Nan appreciated their goodwill, but she really wanted to tell them: there’s no need. 

Whether it’s the provincial or municipal reserve warehouses, they only have tasting wine (unpackaged, marked as “not for sale”), not finished products (the fully packaged wine sold through channels). So when relatives or friends wanted to buy wine, she had to arrange a deal with distributors. Most distributors understood the rules and would supply the wine at the factory price without any extra charges. However, from the perspective of a business, doesn’t that mean she owed them a favor? These favors must be repaid—either by helping them get more products or by covering some reasonable expenses. 

Then there were always some people who thought they were being taken advantage of. 

If Lu Nan offered them a low price, they would suspect the wine wasn’t genuine. If she gave them a group purchase price, they’d feel it wasn’t a big enough discount. 

In short, it was a thankless task. 

For example, this young couple in front of her. No matter the reason, it was obvious they were worried Lu Nan would bring up wine as a topic once they entered the private room. 

Lu Nan guessed that the guy had probably just mentioned to Jiang Chutian in passing that he needed alcohol for his wedding, or when chatting with Jiang Chutian, he mentioned needing high-quality alcohol for the event. 

Men, sometimes, when they get together, always boast a little. 

Jiang Chutian might have taken him seriously. 

In reality, when a young couple is getting married, the choice of cigarettes and alcohol is usually determined by the elders. 

From what Lu Nan knew, in Hua’an City, clan traditions were strong, and there were even specific requirements for the brand and packaging colors of these items. 

The young couple probably couldn’t make the decisions on their own. 

Thinking about this, Lu Nan suddenly remembered an experience from last year when she and Chen Xiao went to the Haillin City wholesale market for food supplies, playing the part of “undercover enforcement.” 

The shopkeeper there must have viewed her and Chen Xiao in the same way, right? 

She looked up and smiled at the couple sitting across from her: “I heard from Jiang Chutian that you two are planning a banquet?” 

“Yeah, it’s set for the 22nd of the last lunar month.” The girl answered quickly and then added, “The elders at home said we need to use the national liquor.” 

As soon as the girl said this, Jiang Chutian looked up at ‘Old Wu’, who awkwardly smiled back at his friend. 

Jiang Chutian glanced at Lu Nan, feeling somewhat embarrassed: I was so confident in the information I shared, but now… 

“Wow, your big day is coming up soon! Congratulations in advance,” Lu Nan said, pretending not to notice the awkwardness. “National liquor is great; after all, the brand speaks for itself. I heard they have a special promotion for wedding alcohol at the end of the year—six bottles for the price of one, plus they throw in wine, beer, and soft drinks. Make sure to ask about it when you go to buy; if you get a large quantity, you can negotiate for a discount.” 

Her straightforwardness, even sharing the current promotional details of the national liquor, made the couple feel a little embarrassed. 

Fortunately, the dishes soon arrived, and Jiang Chutian used the opportunity to introduce Lu Nan to the specialty dishes, which lightened the atmosphere. The couple occasionally joined in, talking about Hua’an City’s local customs and some interesting tourist spots. 

Lu Nan seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the conversation, asking about the names of those places or how to pronounce certain local snacks in the dialect. Jiang Chutian and the couple became even more engaged in the discussion. 

As long as Lu Nan was willing, anyone talking to her would find the conversation relaxed and pleasant. 

By the end of the meal, the girl even said: “We have to use national liquor for the wedding banquet, but for the new son-in-law’s visit to greet the elders on New Year’s Day, maybe we can use your company’s alcohol.” 

Lu Nan smiled and replied, “Sure, just have Jiang Chutian let me know if you need anything.” 

It was just a polite remark; she hoped they wouldn’t take it seriously. 

After the meal, the couple said they had something else to do and left, with the guy insisting on paying the bill. 

Left behind, Jiang Chutian and Lu Nan exchanged glances. 

Jiang Chutian still felt a bit embarrassed: “I didn’t expect Old Wu to be so unreliable. He had said he’d handle the wedding alcohol himself…” 

“It’s fine, don’t take it to heart. A wedding… it’s a once-in-a-lifetime event for many people; of course, they want everything to be perfect,” Lu Nan said sympathetically, and that was truly how she felt. 

Jiang Chutian checked with Lu Nan to make sure she really didn’t mind, then picked up the gift bag she had given him: “I noticed you only ate a little; was the food not to your liking? Do you want to go somewhere else?” 

Lu Nan explained, “No, the food was fine. I’m just used to eating less at night.” 

“I see. You girls all want to stay in shape, probably dieting, right?” Jiang Chutian said, a bit regretful. “What a shame. I had planned to take you to a dessert place. They make tiramisu with Marsala wine; it’s really delicious.” 

Lu Nan thought for a moment: “You can give me the address, and I’ll try it next time during the day.” 

“You can’t! That’s my secret weapon to impress girls,” Jiang Chutian said seriously. 

Lu Nan paused, then looked at Jiang Chutian’s expression before laughing: this guy is quite humorous. 

Seeing her laugh, Jiang Chutian smiled and explained, “I was joking. Actually, I had tiramisu with a really rich flavor when I was abroad, and later I found out from a pastry chef about the special use of alcohol in desserts. So I got a couple of bottles of original Marsala wine and stored them in the dessert shop. When I want some, I just ask the owner to make a custom dessert. It’s not about using dessert to impress girls—I just really like sweets. You won’t make fun of me, right?” 

“Why would I? If I said I like stinky tofu or snail noodles, would you look down on me?” 

Jiang Chutian knew what stinky tofu was, but snail noodles… was there something wrong with it? Isn’t it just snails and rice noodles? 

He asked, “The broth must be pretty fresh, right?” 

Lu Nan suddenly realized that snail noodles hadn’t become a national trend yet, so she smiled and shook her head: “Hmm… the smell is hard to describe. People who love it think it’s the best food in the world and add extra pickled bamboo shoots; people who don’t like it probably think it smells like… well, something else.” 

Hearing this, Jiang Chutian’s curiosity was even stronger: “I’ll have to try it next time. But speaking of desserts, they’ve already made them. Maybe you can take some home and eat it tomorrow—the shop isn’t far, just a ten-minute walk.” 

Given his strong recommendation, Lu Nan checked the time and realized it was still early, so she said: “Alright, I won’t be polite then.” 

On the way to the dessert shop, the conversation naturally continued. Lu Nan found out that Jiang Chutian and Sasha had been classmates for more than ten years, from kindergarten to middle school, and couldn’t help but exclaim: “Ten years of friendship, childhood sweethearts, huh?” 

Jiang Chutian put his hands together: “It’s probably fate. Luckily, we weren’t in the same high school, or I might not have grown tall.” 

Lu Nan looked at the other person curiously: “He should be close to 180 cm, which isn’t short by southern standards.” 

“Boys usually grow taller later, I was still shorter than Pan Sasha all the way until the third year of middle school. For all three years of middle school, I sat in the row in front of her. Every time we lined up for physical exercise, she would tap my head and make gestures,” Jiang Chutian sighed, “Those years really left a big psychological impact on me.” 

“So bold, this really sounds like something Sasha would do.” Lu Nan laughed heartily, “What happened the next time you met?” 

Jiang Chutian raised his head, “I got my revenge and felt proud.” 

Lu Nan then realized: although this guy had a mature look and dressed like an adult, once he spoke, his true nature came out. 

When they reached the dessert shop, Jiang Chutian greeted the staff, and the young woman behind the counter quickly brought out two orders she had set aside. 

Before saying goodbye, Lu Nan, holding the desserts, said, “Thanks for the tiramisu.” 

Jiang Chutian shook the gift bag in his hand, “Thanks for the setup. Are you sure you don’t want me to drive you home?” 

Lu Nan laughed, “Are you going to tail my car to give me a ride? That feels a bit weird.” 

“Alright, just let me know when you get home.” 

After getting home, Lu Nan called Sasha and also sent a message to Jiang Chutian to let him know she had arrived safely. The reply came quickly: “Okay, make sure to refrigerate the tiramisu. Let me know what you think after trying it tomorrow.” 

When Lu Nan replied with “ok,” Sasha picked up the phone: “So, how was it? Did Jiang Chutian treat you well?” 

“Of course. Our Sasha’s status is so high, Jiang Chutian definitely had to treat me well. I ate and took things home.” 

Sasha was shocked: “He even let you pack it up if you couldn’t finish it?” 

“Nothing like that… He recommended a dessert shop. You know I don’t usually eat these kinds of things in the evening, so I packed it up to take home.” 

“Well, as long as you two got to know each other. Since you’re unfamiliar with the place, if anything comes up, feel free to ask him. Don’t hold back.” Sasha repeatedly reminded her and asked, “How about the thing I asked him to keep an eye on with the clients?” 

Lu Nan didn’t want to mention that Jiang Chutian’s understanding of clients was a bit different from theirs, since it was done with good intentions. She laughed it off, “You’re so impatient, we just met. How could I ask him to introduce clients right away? We’ll talk about it later.” 

“By the way, Manager Lu, you’re calling a meeting tomorrow, right? How are you feeling about it? Excited? Nervous?” Sasha asked curiously. 

Lu Nan sighed softly: “You know the attitude of the senior staff at our office, right?” 

Of course, Pan Sasha knew: Work hard for two hours, then slack off the rest of the day. 

Lu Nan continued, “The business here in Hua’an City is even lazier. I’ll probably have to set an example.” 

“Ah, well… Anyway, I’ll say it again, you must stay safe. Don’t let anyone bully you or take advantage of you,” Sasha said, not asking about the situation at the Hua’an City office. 

After hanging up, Lu Nan took out her tablet to confirm the key points for the meeting the next afternoon and then turned off the lights to go to bed. 

The next morning, she made herself a cup of milk, took the tiramisu from the fridge, and had that for brunch. 

Thinking about how Jiang Chutian had repeatedly asked her to tell him about her “food experience,” Lu Nan took out her phone and wrote a message with over 100 words, then clicked send. 

Around noon, Lu Nan’s phone vibrated with a message from Liu Yang: 

“Manager Lu, I’ve thought it over. I’ve decided to resign. I’ll submit my resignation letter after the weekly meeting today.”