“Director Liu, there’s a bouquet here for you to sign for.” The receptionist spotted Liu Zhaoran and greeted her warmly, then took out an exquisitely wrapped bouquet of blue Starwhisper flowers from beneath the counter.

It was August, not exactly Starwhisper’s blooming season, and with the hot weather, most bouquets wilted easily. Yet this bunch was blooming with uncommon vigor, clearly bought at a premium.

In fact, since Liu Zhaoran had come to WCRR, the receptionist had seen quite a few flowers rarely found on ordinary days, all thanks to her. Liu Zhaoran had many admirers, quite a few within the company, Zhang Kai included.

Those admirers might never show their faces, but their taste in flowers alone, nothing so vulgar as roses, had already lifted her impression of them and her expectations.

“Sorry for the trouble. I’m always having you hold these for me.” Liu Zhaoran glanced at the bouquet, a faint apology flickering in her eyes. The receptionist hastily shook her head and waved her hands.

“It’s no trouble at all. If it weren’t for you, Director Liu, I’d never get to see such lush Starwhisper flowers.” The receptionist handed the bouquet to Liu Zhaoran, but she didn’t take it. Instead, she smiled and gently pushed it back.

“I heard someone in your reception department has a birthday today. Take this bouquet and give a few stems to each person there. You can buy a vase at the supermarket downstairs and bill me for it.” Liu Zhaoran spoke softly, her voice gentle as a spring breeze.

The receptionist nodded blankly, then watched Liu Zhaoran step into the elevator with a smile. The elevator was nearly empty at this hour. Liu Zhaoran’s smile gradually faded, and she lightly brushed her shoulder, somewhat repelled by the scent of pollen left on her.

The elevator stopped on the twenty-first floor. Liu Zhaoran thought for a moment, and instead of continuing up, she walked a loop past the entrance of the Planning Department. Everyone in Planning had already arrived, and the clock-in time was long past, but the team leader’s seat was still empty.

Before anyone could notice her, Liu Zhaoran quickly doubled back to the stairs, though the interest in her eyes had dimmed considerably. Did Song Nanyin take leave again today? She couldn’t have been so crushed by the other day, could she? Would that woman really give up so easily?

Liu Zhaoran mulled it over for a moment, and in the blink of an eye the elevator reached her floor. She entered her office and found the door ajar. A flicker of impatience crossed her eyes, but by the time she pushed the door open, she had put on that gentle, refined demeanor again.

Sure enough, the office was not empty. Zhang Kai had come in at some point and was sitting on the sofa waiting for her. The man wore a navy-blue suit, his hair groomed to perfection, and the delight in his eyes at the sight of her was plain to see.

“General Manager Zhang, why are you here? Is there a document you need me to handle?” Liu Zhaoran asked softly. Zhang Kai’s delight faded a little, but he still came over at once.

“Can’t I come see you without a reason? I heard someone sent you flowers again today?” Zhang Kai’s tone carried a hint of probing. Liu Zhaoran knew exactly how he had found out, and she had guessed he would come; she just hadn’t expected him to be this eager.

“Mm, but I don’t know who it was.” Liu Zhaoran’s reply was very flat, and that clearly pleased Zhang Kai. He stepped a few paces closer, then kept a relatively safe distance. The man’s cologne drifted over, and Liu Zhaoran pressed her lips together.

“Then… Ranran, about what I mentioned last time, have you given it any thought?” Zhang Kai asked even more cautiously this time. Liu Zhaoran let out a soft sigh.

“General Manager Zhang, right now I only want to focus on my work. I hope to finish handling my own duties first, and once things are more settled, I’ll think about other matters.”

Liu Zhaoran said this gently. Rather than being offended, Zhang Kai actually felt relieved. Since Liu Zhaoran had put it that way, it meant she wouldn’t accept anyone in the near term, and that made him, being closest to her, the one with the greatest chance.

“All right, I… I’ll give you plenty of time. If you run into any difficulty at work, you can always tell me.” Zhang Kai lightly patted Liu Zhaoran’s shoulder as he spoke, then left.

Once he had walked away, the smile on Liu Zhaoran’s face vanished completely. She frowned and looked at her shoulder. Nothing had been left on the spotless white suit, yet it made her intensely uncomfortable.

Liu Zhaoran took off her jacket and tossed it on the floor like trash. She raised a hand and tugged at the tie knotted at her neck, then turned around to lean against the desk, opened the drawer, took out a cigarette, and lit it.

Smoke quickly filled the air, pungent enough to catch at the throat. Liu Zhaoran’s favorite brand was Mixed Domain. The name sounded a little unusual, but it was a strong, old-school smoke.

The first pack of cigarettes she bought when she went abroad to study was Mixed Domain, and she had loved it ever since.

Liu Zhaoran liked dealing with clever people. Zhang Kai counted as clever, but not entirely so; otherwise he wouldn’t have come to ask again after she had turned down his request for a relationship. But… she could play along with him. When driven by self-interest, Liu Zhaoran could tolerate this degree of “not-quite-clever.”

At that thought, Liu Zhaoran’s mind inexplicably drifted to Song Nanyin again. That foolish woman was foolish in a way that wasn’t annoying; on the contrary, she was rather amusing.

Figuring her assistant would arrive soon, Liu Zhaoran stubbed out the cigarette and sprayed deodorizer. Only when no trace of smoke remained did she sit back down at her computer and leisurely retie her tie, doing up the buttons she had loosened one by one, all the way to the top.

“Director Liu, Vice President Wang of NOZC would like to invite you to lunch. Will you accept?” Not long after the assistant arrived, she began arranging the day’s schedule. Liu Zhaoran thought for a moment, then nodded.

The restaurant was located across from the WCRR office building. Though its reputation and food were both good, the prices were beyond what most WCRR employees could afford, so she rarely ran into acquaintances when dining there.

Liu Zhaoran sat across from the middle-aged man, silent as she listened to his compliments. She then listened quietly as he bragged about owning a boat and once catching a shark, after which he invited her to go out to sea together.

Liu Zhaoran declined tactfully. As she lowered her head, a few traces of disdain surfaced in her eyes. A man who has accomplished nothing always loves to brag about trifles in front of others. Why didn’t the shark just eat you? Then again, sharks are probably a bit picky too, aren’t they? Surely they can’t stomach such inferior fare.

After that tedious lunch came to an end, she strolled toward the company entrance. From a distance, she spotted a familiar figure. Though the other person’s attire was completely different from usual, that head of golden hair, so dazzling it resembled a giant golden retriever’s, made Liu Zhaoran recognize Song Nanyin in an instant.

She had thought the other woman wouldn’t come to the office today, but who would have guessed she’d show up right at lunch break?

As for Song Nanyin, the only connection the two had shared before joining the company was that university mixer. Ten meters was probably the closest they had ever been before working together at WCRR.

She had noticed Song Nanyin back then because the other woman was far too eye-catching. Mixed-race features, delicate looks, and a figure that was pure fire. Even sitting amid the crowd with a face that made it clear she wasn’t someone to be messed with, plenty of men still crowded around her.

Song Nanyin was very vain and knew exactly how to show off her strengths. On ordinary workdays, her favorite thing was wearing all kinds of dresses.

Off-shoulder, backless, high-slit, hip-hugging. Never mind the generous bust; her shoulders and upper arms were slender as well. She was the typical clotheshorse.

That shrewd look was wasted on Song Nanyin. Liu Zhaoran knew the woman was thoroughly foolish and that she hated her, and the reason had everything to do with Zhang Kai.

In truth, Liu Zhaoran felt nothing for Zhang Kai. The only reason they were acquainted was that they had worked together abroad. But since the man was someone Song Nanyin had set her sights on, Liu Zhaoran couldn’t help paying Zhang Kai a little extra attention.

She chalked it up to amusement.

Song Nanyin hated her yet was completely helpless against her. As long as Liu Zhaoran was around, she would always be the weaker party in any social interaction.

An impulsive temperament. A tongue that never learned to bend. When she was angry at her, hating her, she wore it all on her face. Others would only see her making an unreasonable fuss, and from that they would infer her nature.

But what can she ever do about her?

That flustered, furious look of hers is truly amusing.

Liu Zhaoran was still thinking this as she drew closer. Only then did she notice that Song Nanyin was, for the first time ever, wearing a long dress. It was still pretty, but somehow it just didn’t suit her. Liu Zhaoran couldn’t help walking over, intending to greet this “old friend” she hadn’t seen in three days.

“Team Leader Song, you’re here? Are you feeling better? You took three days of leave, I…” Liu Zhaoran went over, just about to show some concern for Song Nanyin. To her surprise, at the sound of her voice, the other woman looked as if she had seen a ghost. Without a single glance back, she ran straight into the WCRR office building.

Watching Song Nanyin flee as though routed, Liu Zhaoran felt as if she had discovered a curious new toy. She reached up and stroked her chin.

She really can’t get away from me fast enough, can she? Does she hate me that much?