“So, you used your professional skills as the group purchase manager for Yuan Chuan Classic Liquor and really taught that spider demon a lesson on how to behave? Well done, Nan Nan!” Pan Shasha, who had come to the city for the weekly meeting, held a cup of snow-top coffee and asked with wide eyes, “Did that move really work because you could tell the difference between the three ages of liquor by taste?” 

“What spider demon?” Lu Nan corrected her. “Her name is Meng Lusi, Lusi, okay? And I didn’t slap her in the face. I was just helping her out. After that day, it seems like Mr. Yang landed a few big orders and sold several bottles of twenty-year-old liquor. I noticed Liu Yuhan and Meng Lusi both got new phones recently. And yes, my nose and tongue might be quite good.” 

“Oh~ since it’s a talent, I guess I can’t learn it, what a pity. So, you managed to help Mr. Yang make sales that quickly? After this, those two will definitely respect you more. Also, you’re the one who described that Meng Lusi—when she was dragging Chen Xiao away by the arm, it was just like the Spider Demon capturing a monk. Isn’t that a Spider Demon?” Sasha hadn’t witnessed the scene herself, but just imagining it made her laugh uncontrollably. 

“With Chen Xiao in that state, you’re still laughing… something’s not right with you now,” Lu Nan looked her up and down, “Could it be that you’re feeling resentment out of love?” 

“What!” Sasha sneered, “I just realized I was really blind earlier. Anyway, look at what the company’s red-headed documents said the other day. Liu Tao, the group purchase manager from the East China region, made and filmed the Yuan Chuan autumn promotional video? Nonsense, thief, robber, shameless.”  

Lu Nan knew that when it came to taking the money, the less people knew the better. But since Sasha was clearly on her side, Lu Nan didn’t know how to explain it. “Calm down, calm down. Things are complicated, and I can’t say much. Just know that I didn’t suffer any loss.” 

Sasha couldn’t calm down, “I used to like him, and now I see he has no responsibility. He couldn’t even protect the legitimate rights of his direct subordinates. Ugh!” 

Lu Nan, the person involved, remained calm and tried to persuade her, “Calm down, maybe he did try to uphold things, right? We don’t know what happened at the top, so we can’t judge. And I really haven’t suffered any loss; just know that.” 

“Really, you haven’t suffered any loss?” 

“Really! I’m telling you, I haven’t suffered any!” 

“Alright then, but I’ll tell you…” Sasha looked around and then whispered, “There were rumors in the office that Chen Xiao and Director Tong have known each other for a long time and have a good relationship. If he had really tried his best to speak up for you, the result would definitely have been different.” 

Lu Nan didn’t expect Sasha to know all this already. It seemed that sometimes rumors weren’t baseless. 

“Forget it, it’s already a done deal, and discussing it further won’t change anything.” Lu Nan didn’t want Sasha to dwell on this issue. 

Sasha shrugged, “Okay, besides, everyone with eyes can see what’s going on. Manager Wang will definitely sympathize with you, and you might even get the thousand-yuan reward for the outstanding employee of July.” (This was the office’s monthly reward, which was usually distributed like pieces of pork, taking turns.) 

Although Lu Nan didn’t think of herself as a pitiful person, any little gain is still a gain… “Thanks for the good wishes. How about you? How do you feel about being back home for a while?” 

“The other business supervisors are at the same level as me and don’t have authority over me. It’s really great not having to attend morning meetings every day. But, living at home has its drawbacks,” Sasha said with a frown. “When I go out, my mom says I’m wild and should stay home. When I stay home, she says I’m sloppy and should find a boyfriend. Where am I supposed to find a boyfriend? I can’t tell her, ‘Mom, your daughter just went through a failed crush and is still healing,’ can I?” 

“Ah…” Lu Nan sighed, feeling helpless. “So your mother means you can go out at night, but only if you’re with your boyfriend.” 

“Correct. I’m only 24. Why is my mom so anxious?” 

Lu Nan thought: Three years from now, five years from now, if you’re still single, your mom will be even more worried.  

*** 

The weekly meeting, like the morning meetings, was full of the usual routine. 

The only special announcement was from General Director Xiang, who declared that due to some unavoidable circumstances, this year’s ‘August 1st’ the date where they donate wine to the military, won’t be held publicly this year. 

On this matter, none of the female managers in the group purchasing department felt disappointed. They applauded with extra enthusiasm since it meant one less event where they had to drink. 

The weekly meeting ended before four. Sasha had to drive back to Fengyun, so she waved goodbye to everyone while carrying her bag. 

A tall, slightly dark-skinned man bumped into Yi Wei’s side—this man was Yi Wei’s business supervisor, in charge of the supermarket channel in Hailin City, and also the one who tried to flirt with Lu Nan at the farewell party in Wanghai City, the one Lu Nan couldn’t be bothered with and found repulsive, Zhou Lei. 

Yi Wei, who had been bumped, hesitated but eventually decided to chase after Sasha. 

Most people in the office were aware of the situation and made sounds of surprise. Zhou Lei grinned, showing his white teeth. “Don’t do that, Yi Wei will feel embarrassed later.” 

It sounded nice, but Lu Nan thought: If you really cared about Yi Wei, you wouldn’t encourage him to chase after someone in front of everyone knowing he had already failed once (Yi Wei, with his big mouth, probably had the entire male dorm know about it the moment it happened). 

Lu Nan wasn’t curious about what happened next. She had booked a trial class at a nearby gym and planned to change clothes at the dorm before heading out. 

Two hours later, she sat in front of the membership consultant, listening to the endless talk about annual and two-year membership deals, and how well-equipped their facilities were, including various classes and activities. 

Recently, due to getting back to writing, Lu Nan had been feeling some discomfort in her shoulders and neck, so she did have a need for exercise. But she knew exactly what she wanted, and she wasn’t afraid to bargain, eventually getting the annual membership for 1,200 yuan. 

Back at the dorm, she boiled two eggs and poured herself a glass of milk. 

The dorm was quiet, with only Xiang Feifei present. 

Lu Nan raised an eyebrow and asked, “Is it just you here?” 

“The boys’ dorm is having a party to comfort the heartbroken Yi Wei, and Dong Hui went with Wang Xiaoxue to join in. Jiang Xiaoyun has a friend here and probably went to the movies. Lin Yan and Hong Danni went shopping. After the weekly meeting, I took a shower and was too lazy to move, so I didn’t go.”

Lu Nan shook her head. “Just to correct you, Yi Wei’s not heartbroken; he just ended his unrequited love.” 

Xiang Feifei gave Lu Nan a thumbs-up, “Good use of words. Did you just go to work out?” 

“Yeah.” 

“You really have a lot of willpower,” Xiang Feifei glanced at the food Lu Nan had, “After hearing what you said last time, we tried to stick with it for a few days. We ended up eating less at dinner, but by nighttime, we were so hungry we had to get up and eat a midnight snack.” 

Lu Nan chuckled, “It’s a process everyone goes through. It gets better once you push through.” 

“By the way, with so many small events at Feixiang, some people are always waiting for their chance to stand out.” Xiang Feifei stopped, not sure why she was telling Lu Nan this—what if Lu Nan thought she was trying to cause trouble? 

“I understand, thanks for the heads-up.” Lu Nan liked Xiang Feifei’s straightforward personality, so she smiled kindly, “I’ll head upstairs now. Oh, if you want to go shopping next time, let me know in advance. I have a friend working at a local women’s clothing store, and she can offer her employee discount. It’s especially good for end-of-season or clearance items. That’s the store where I bought a lot of clothes last time.” 

Xiang Feifei nodded, “Great, take me there once I get my paycheck.” 

At around nine-thirty, the other three girls from Yunan Province gradually returned. 

Dong Hui probably got back to the dorm around twelve. The noise from closing the door and getting ready was a bit too loud, so Xiang Feifei called out from her room, telling her to keep it down. 

Dong Hui smiled mischievously in the bathroom and said, “Feifei, don’t be so harsh. Tomorrow is Sunday, so staying up a little later tonight is fine. I wanted to tell you, I called you all today, but none of you came. We went to KTV, sang, and played games. It was really fun. Later, Manager Zhou joined us. Those men were so nice. Being pretty really has its perks…” 

Lu Nan sighed and put on her noise-canceling earplugs. 

The next morning, she woke up and checked her phone, noticing a particularly lively group chat: “Hailin City Book Club Volunteers.”  

Lu Nan realized this was a group she joined during her internship at CIMC Logistics. 

The Book Club, as the name suggested, focused on sharing a good book at each meeting and discussing the thoughts and insights gained from reading. However, in reality, it was more of a social event. People exchanged business cards and shared information, with reading serving as a premise for socializing. The atmosphere of the meetings felt refined.  

During her internship at CIMC, Mr. Song was passionate about various activities and generously took the interns to experience different things (or perhaps to use them as free labor?). Lu Nan had naturally gone along and had even met her college professors, Teacher Zhu from her major and Teacher Jiao Bo from the neighboring department, at one of these club events. 

Throughout her university years, Lu Nan had left a good impression on several of her main instructors. Thanks to introductions from the teachers and Mr. Song, she became a member and volunteer of the club, even though she was just a recent graduate. 

The current buzz in the group was because the next gathering is scheduled for next Sunday, and the volunteer team leader was asking who would be available to help out at Shangrila Hotel in the morning. 

Lu Nan thought for a moment and responded with a ‘1’ in the group. 

… 

There weren’t many major events this week. On Wednesday, Feixiang informed Lu Nan that there would be a small event on Friday evening. On Thursday, Lu Nan and Jiang Xiaoyun went to the backup warehouse to collect the tasting wine—Wu Fang’s due date was approaching, and she would soon be on maternity leave. Jiang Xiaoyun had basically taken over the office tasks in the city office. 

After the Saturday meeting, Li Li, who usually spends less time at the office, showed up. She stopped the three-district group purchasing managers under her charge and said, “There’s an event at the Shangrila Hotel on Sunday afternoon. I can bring two people along. Who has time?” 

At times like this, even if there’s no time, one has to make time. 

Dong Hui raised her hand first. “Manager Li, I’m free on Sunday afternoon. Count me in.” 

Xiang Feifei glanced at Lu Nan. Although they got along well personally, when it came to work… 

Lu Nan smiled and asked Li Li, “Is it the event for the Book Lovers Club?” 

“Yes, you know about it?” Li Li turned her head to look at Lu Nan. 

Lu Nan nodded. “I’m a volunteer there. I’ll be there helping out on Sunday morning, so Manager Li, it’s better if you take Feifei and Dong Hui. We’ll meet at the venue in the afternoon.” 

A flash of surprise appeared on Li Li’s face, then she nodded and said, “That’s the best arrangement. We’ll meet at the hotel entrance at 1:15 pm on Sunday afternoon.” The last part was directed at Xiang Feifei and Dong Hui, who both readily agreed.