The gathering's venue was chosen by Manager Zhang. It was a private dining restaurant that wasn't overly upscale but had an excellent reputation for its cuisine and skill.
Due to the number of people, two tables were set up in a private room.
The atmosphere throughout the meal was lively. Everyone toasted each other, discussing work and the future, appearing to have a very good relationship.
As they chatted, they began to comfort Tang Nannan, assuring her that it was alright not to be familiar with the new company or its business, and that everyone would do their best to help her.
This made Tang Nannan feel touched, but also a little guilty, as she felt she was not living up to their trust.
Hu Jiasheng did not drink because he had to drive.
Manager Zhang said it was fine, they could just call a designated driver.
"Actually, I'm allergic to alcohol. If I drink, I break out in hives all over my body, and in severe cases, I have to go to the emergency room. It's not that I'm being uncooperative; I really can't afford to joke around with this."
Everyone then stopped pressuring him and turned to persuade Tang Nannan.
Tang Nannan couldn't drink either.
"I rushed over as soon as I received the interview notification from the company. I completed the onboarding process after passing the interview, and I haven't had time to rent a place or settle my luggage yet. I have to work tomorrow, so I really can't drink today."
"Thank you, everyone. Once I'm settled, I'll treat you all to drinks to make amends."
With her saying that, the planned after-party at the KTV was also called off.
The group, though unhappy, could only agree.
"Alright then, you should go back and pack your things. We have plenty of time in the future for gatherings."
Manager Zhang had already booked the KTV, and to avoid wasting it, after eating their fill, the others chose to go out for fun.
Hu Jiasheng said he had something to do and needed to leave first. Manager Zhang asked him to give Tang Nannan a ride, and Tang Nannan naturally got into his car.
She had expected him to at least ask where she was going, to feign concern, especially since he knew the only person she knew in this city was him.
However, from the moment she got into the car until they had driven past two blocks, Hu Jiasheng hadn't said a word.
He was driving an indigo Porsche, which had excellent soundproofing.
The noise from outside was irrelevant to them. There was no music in the car, and it was as quiet as a chicken. Tang Nannan suddenly felt a sense of emptiness.
After passing the next intersection, she unbuckled her seatbelt and tried to force a smile onto her face.
"Thank you for the ride, Mr. Hu. You can just drop me off on the roadside."
Hu Jiasheng, who was driving intently, cast a leisurely glance at her.
"Drop you off on the roadside? Do you live around here?"
"Yes, I have a friend who lives nearby, and I'll be staying at her place for now."
She only had a little over ten yuan on her and was certain she'd be sleeping in a park tonight.
"You have a friend in Nancheng?"
As far as Hu Jiasheng knew, this was her first time in Nancheng.
She had mentioned before that after her family's troubles, she had cut off contact with all her old classmates and friends. Her lie was inconsistent.
Hu Jiasheng knew she was being polite, and he thought to himself: You weren't this polite before you came, and now that you're here, you're being polite?
Nearly exposed, Tang Nannan's face flushed with embarrassment.
"Yes. I have an old classmate whose family is from Nancheng..."
Hu Jiasheng directly cut her off.
"Is that so? Is it a boy or a girl?"
His voice was unreadable, and his expression was neutral, as if he were genuinely inquiring.
Tang Nannan met his gaze and reached for the door handle, but he had locked it, and it wouldn't open.
"A girl."
"What's her name?"
Tang Nannan was somewhat speechless. "What? Do you think you might know her if I tell you her name?"
"Whether I know her or not isn't important. What's important is that you are now my employee. In the middle of the night, if I leave you alone and something happens..."
Oh, so he was asking for such details to absolve himself of responsibility if something were to happen.
Tang Nannan felt a pang of bitterness and made up a name.
Hu Jiasheng continued to press her. "What's the name of this street? Which neighborhood does she live in, and what's her building number?"
Tang Nannan was truly stumped.
She had just said it casually; she had no idea what the street was called.
Seeing her completely flustered, Hu Jiasheng started the car again.
"Tang Nannan, you're a smart person, a smart and brave person. Since you dared to come this far, you must have the confidence to see it through."
"You've already calculated that I wouldn't refuse to help you, so why are you still hesitating?"
Sometimes, dealing with overly intelligent people isn't easy.
Adults all value their pride. Even if everyone knows the truth, it's better to cover it up with a thin, transparent veil than to face the truth directly.
Hu Jiasheng's explicitness in all matters, while sometimes good, can also be seen as a lack of emotional intelligence, as he doesn't know how to spare people's feelings.
Tang Nannan wasn't happy about him taking her in.
"I just realized I overestimated myself, overestimated my judgment of you. You're not as willing to help me as I thought, so..."
"Then what do you want me to do? Welcome you with fanfare and fireworks like Manager Zhang and the others?"
Tang Nannan: "..."
Hu Jiasheng: "You might not believe this, but when I was dating, I rarely spent time alone with my girlfriends. Although there's nothing between us, you're already at the maximum limit of my tolerance."
This statement made Tang Nannan's day-long gloom lift to the clouds.
He wasn't this close with his girlfriends when they were dating?
So Hu Jiasheng liked women.
And she was receiving this special treatment from him.
Regardless, she was now by his side.
Think less, work hard, and things will definitely get better, Tang Nannan told herself.
They returned to Hu Jiasheng's residential complex together. The car drove into the underground garage, and they walked towards the elevator.
Hu Jiasheng, with his long legs, was a step ahead of her, carrying his laptop bag. Midway, they encountered someone.
It was a technician he had worked with for several months at the real estate company, a very honest and likable person.
They hadn't seen each other in a month, so they naturally stopped to greet each other.
Tang Nannan pretended to be looking at her phone, always staying a step behind.
A moment later, Hu Jiasheng turned and walked back to her side, handing her a key.
"You go sleep first. I have something to attend to and need to go out."
Tang Nannan retrieved her small suitcase and went to his apartment alone.
It was large and spacious, neat and clean, just like her former home.
She dared not touch his belongings. She went to the guest room, took a bath, washed her hair, hand-washed her clothes, set her alarm, and changed into her pajamas. Seeing that he was taking a long time to return, she fell asleep first.
The technician's wife was currently going through a divorce with him and had quietly returned to her hometown with their child. He was very upset, and Hu Jiasheng inadvertently drank too much with him.
He didn't remember who helped them hail a taxi. When he regained consciousness, he found himself at the base of a large tree at the entrance of the residential complex.
There were mosquitoes around the green belt, and he had gotten a whole armful of bites.
Hu Jiasheng wasn't allergic to alcohol, but it didn't make much difference; he became drowsy whenever he drank.
Everything was silent. There wasn't a soul in the complex, and even the security guards were asleep.
He was so drowsy he could barely stand. He staggered upstairs, unlocked the door with his fingerprint, and lay down in the dark.