"I'll try." Liang Yufeng began to tune the guitar. He hadn't touched it in years; he had learned it as a hobby back then and wondered how much he still remembered. He tried playing the prelude, and Lan Lan immediately started clapping, "Sounds good! Keep going!"
Liang Yufeng was grateful for his memory. He had practiced the song "Jia Xing Seng" in his club back then. Years later, the melody was etched into his mind, and he picked it up easily. After the prelude, he began to sing.
Lan Lan watched the man playing the bass and singing, completely captivated.
Wearing a suit while playing the bass made him even more attractive. Coupled with his good voice, he exuded an aura of pure charisma, so potent that one could be easily overwhelmed by it if not careful.
The light shone down from above, casting half his face in shadow. Even when he looked down, his high nose bridge was visible, and when he looked up, his Adam's apple could be seen bobbing. Every movement was intoxicating.
As he finished the last note, Lan Lan couldn't resist. She rushed forward, threw her arms around his neck, and kissed his throat. Liang Yufeng's movements suddenly froze, his long fingers stopping on the strings.
The surroundings fell silent, with only the sound of his increasingly heavy breathing audible.
"So handsome," Lan Lan praised Liang Yufeng without reservation, even wishing she could lock him up at home to sing for her every day. But she knew it was impossible. With a mere thought, she led Liang Yufeng to the restaurant to continue the proceedings.
The birthday ritual still needed to be observed. Lan Lan stuck the candle with "27" on it into the cake, lit it, and clapped as she sang him a birthday song.
Liang Yufeng listened quietly, then reached to blow out the candle. Lan Lan covered his mouth, "You haven't made a wish yet."
Before Liang Yufeng could call it childish, he heard Lan Lan say, "Even though it's something kids do, you have to make one. It's part of the ritual."
To comply with Lan Lan's idea of ritual, Liang Yufeng finally made a wish as she requested before blowing out the candle.
Although they had already eaten, more than an hour had passed. Lan Lan could still eat cake. She took a bite and found the cake from this place was indeed delicious.
Liang Yufeng wasn't particularly fond of cakes and desserts, but since Lan Lan had ordered it, he ate a piece.
After the cake was finished, Lan Lan playfully said to Liang Yufeng, "Another year older, Mr. Liang. Any thoughts? Let me interview you."
"Nothing," Liang Yufeng replied.
"Oh, then I wish Mr. Liang a year of smooth career, good health, and prosperity every day." Lan Lan offered him cliché blessings, which made Liang Yufeng smile.
If anyone else had said such things to him, he would likely have looked down on them, thinking they lacked literary depth. But coming from her, even the most mundane words sounded pleasant.
Later that night, when they were intimate, Liang Yufeng seemed to have undergone a transformation. He completely changed his previous style. Even Lan Lan, who was quite experienced, found herself utterly overwhelmed. Before anything significant happened, she had already experienced multiple climaxes.
Lan Lan rested her head in Liang Yufeng's embrace, one hand gripping his shoulder, her breathing unsteady. "I can't anymore, Liang Yufeng."
Liang Yufeng paid no heed, fully immersed. Lan Lan could no longer speak. She actually wanted to ask him if he had taken any classes, wondering why he had suddenly become like a different person.
After a night of indulgence, Lan Lan slept until noon the next day. Her body ached, but she was still replaying the scenes from the previous night.
If Liang Yufeng could always perform like he did last night, perhaps she could even develop him into a long-term casual partner. Although she had this thought, Lan Lan never anticipated that their ambiguous relationship would actually last for over two years.
During this time, she had been promoted from supervisor to department manager. The men pursuing her had come and gone in waves, but only Liang Yufeng remained steadfast.
After that birthday, their relationship became much more harmonious than before. Liang Yufeng became gentler in bed, and since Lan Lan had no other demands of him, they "developed" steadily, with neither proposing to end it.
Lan Lan and Liang Yufeng's relationship was no secret at the company. There was always gossip, and over time, she became numb to it. However, as their relationship persisted, rumors began to circulate within the company that they were planning to get married.
A close colleague came to Lan Lan's office during lunch break to deliver coffee and inquire about the matter. "I heard people saying that you and Mr. Liang are preparing to get married?"
Lan Lan almost spat out her coffee. "Who told you that?" These people were really imaginative. First, they spread rumors that she had slept her way up, and now they were fabricating marriage stories?
The colleague said, "That's what everyone in the company is saying now. Mainly because you and Mr. Liang have been together for so many years, and you've never broken up. Haven't you considered marrying him?"
If they could stay together for so long, there must be feelings involved. According to traditional thinking, marriage was the inevitable outcome. Most people thought that way.
But Lan Lan differed from them. "Haven't considered it."
She and Liang Yufeng weren't even boyfriend and girlfriend, so what was there to talk about regarding marriage? If Liang Yufeng proposed marriage, she would end the relationship without hesitation.
"Then, you don't like Mr. Liang?" the colleague asked in surprise.
"Does anyone dislike him? He's handsome, rich, and powerful," Lan Lan said. "I'm just a mortal."
The colleague understood her meaning. "You're with him just because of that? I thought you were true love."
"We're all adults now, what 'true love' and all that," Lan Lan said, confiding in her close colleague, with whom she often went shopping privately. "Men are all the same. They're just for amusement, for fun. Wasting time on emotions with them is worse than getting a little more sleep."
The colleague's attitude towards relationships was not as indifferent as hers. "I still believe in love and marriage."
"Completely okay," Lan Lan replied. "But I'm not getting married."
"What about Mr. Liang? Does he think the same way?" the colleague asked Lan Lan.
"What he thinks has nothing to do with me," Lan Lan said resolutely, surprising the colleague once again. It turned out that there really were women in this world who were so carefree about relationships, which explained why Lan Lan had never stumbled in love.
After chatting with Lan Lan for a while, the colleague emerged from her office. To her surprise, as soon as she opened the door, she saw Liang Yufeng standing in front of it.
His gaze was icy, his hands in his pockets. She didn't know how long he had been standing there. The office soundproofing wasn't very good, so he must have overheard Lan Lan's words...
The colleague dared not think further. She greeted Liang Yufeng with a "hello" and hurried back to her work.
Liang Yufeng, however, remained silent for a long time. Ultimately, he did not push open the door and turned to leave.
As he passed the trash can, he threw the coffee in his hand into it.
Liang Yufeng drove to his car with a surge of determination. After sitting down, Lan Lan's words from earlier still echoed in his ears.