Adults don't make choices; I want love, future prospects, freedom, and dreams!
Lin Xiaoran directed the route.
As Jiang Hailang drove, he asked with a smile, "Why is that lady targeting you? Could it be that you're still hung up on your ex-boyfriend?"
"I'll never forgive him. I thought we could still be friends after breaking up, so I went to the party when they said it was going to be a gathering. Who knew his new girlfriend had paranoia?"
Why did you break up in the first place?
"It's a melodramatic story. During his internship, he caught the eye of his boss, oh, that's his current girlfriend. Then he didn't want to work hard anymore, so he broke up with her."
Are you sad?
"I was heartbroken. I was heartbroken for a whole week. Then I found out that quite a lot of people break up before graduation, and some of their reasons for breaking up are even more bizarre than mine, so I'm not heartbroken anymore. I'm not the most unlucky or special one, so why should I be more heartbroken than others?"
After saying this, Lin Xiaoran pointed ahead and shouted to Jiang Hailang to stop the car: "We're here, we're here."
It is the most famous nightclub street in Lancheng.
Kiss T bar was filled with deafening music, the dance floor was packed with people, and every booth was full.
Lin Xiaoran pulled Jiang Hailang's arm through the chaotic crowd and found a handsome man in a suit and tie with a name tag on his chest.
Jiang Hailang has been to this bar a few times. His biggest impression is that although the music is so-so, everyone there is young and good-looking. Whether it's the customers or the waiters, everyone is good-looking. Even the security guard at the door could charm countless girls.
The handsome man in the suit asked, "Hey, Xiaoran, what brings you here today? Missed me?"
Lin Xiaoran said, "Stop being so sarcastic, let's have a booth."
"There are no booths available; they were all booked by the afternoon."
"If I had that, why would I need to contact you?"
"Really, there isn't. There's a balloon party tonight, look at all those people outside. How about you guys make do and leave? I'll put it on your tab." The handsome guy spoke to Lin Xiaoran in a conciliatory tone, then turned to look at Jiang Hailang.
Lin Xiaoran had just remembered that she was still holding Jiang Hailang's hand when she turned around and introduced them to each other: "This is my company leader, Boss Lang, and this is my childhood friend, Li He."
The suggestion to share a table was not adopted, but Li He came up with an idea: "There's a booth in Zone 1 with only two people. Why don't you talk to them and split the bill?"
When Jiang Hailang followed Li He to that booth, he truly understood the meaning of the saying "No story is complete without a coincidence".
Or rather, it was an ex-partner party night.
The heavily made-up woman sitting in that booth was none other than Gao Jiali, Jiang Hailang's ex-girlfriend whom he broke up with after graduating from university. Beside her, whom she was trying so hard to please, was Jiang Yucheng, the son of Mr. Jiang, a shareholder of Platinum Hotel.
The reason for the breakup was the same as Lin Xiaoran's: she didn't want to strive anymore. However, it wasn't Jiang Hailang who didn't want to strive, but Gao Jiali.
Jiang Hailang's family was of average means during his university years, or rather, slightly worse off. His parents were ordinary workers earning a meager salary, and the family of three lived in an old neighborhood in the south of the city for decades.
However, Jiang Hailang was never one of those guys labeled a "loser." Like Mu Chen, he was a renowned talent at Lan University. Intelligent, upright, exceptionally talented, and with an extraordinary air, he was pursued by many girls. One of them was Gao Jiali.
Gao Jiali majored in broadcasting and hosting. Tall and beautiful, she was the school's most beautiful girl and the soul of the school's radio station. Every evening, her sweet and clear voice would travel through every corner of Lan University via the radio waves.
Many boys pursued Gao Jiali, including classmates from school and wealthy and powerful second-generation men from outside the school. But Gao Jiali looked down on all of them; she only liked Jiang Hailang—a sweet-talking, cheerful, and talented boy.
College romances are often pure and beautiful. Jiang Hailang accepted Gao Jiali's advances and spent several happy years with her.
By the time she graduated from university, Gao Jiali was disheartened after repeatedly failing to find a job. She felt she was clearly more capable than others, and her interview performances were commendable. But in the end, she was never the one who got the job.
The person who revealed the secret to her was a rich second-generation heir who had been pursuing her for a long time. Because those who were hired all had connections; the interview was just a formality. Radio and television stations only have a limited number of openings each year, and those positions are already decided internally.
The rich second-generation said that if Gao Jiali wanted, she could also be the one pre-selected.
Ultimately, love in the ivory tower succumbed to reality.
Gao Jiali cried as she broke up with Jiang Hailang because he didn't even have a job. She couldn't bear the immense pressure of two people who were unemployed right after graduation; she couldn't see the future she wanted.
Jiang Hailang was heartbroken for four times longer than Lin Xiaoran. This was because Gao Jiali was his first love, the only girlfriend he had ever truly been in a relationship with. During that time, Jiang Hailang stopped looking for work and instead spent all his time immersed in the grief of the breakup.
A month later, Mu Chen approached Jiang Hailang and said that he had taken over the Platinum Hotel, but the staff was unsettled and the situation was turbulent. He urgently needed a reliable and trustworthy person to help him.
Jiang Hailang started as a regular salesman at Platinum Hotel and later led a small team. His footprints can be found wherever there is business in Lancheng.
Gradually, the hotel saw real growth in performance. Not only did Jiang Hailang earn more money, but Mu Chen's position at Platinum Hotel also became more secure.
People who don't know the situation might think that Jiang Hailang became the sales director because of his connection with Mu Chen, a college classmate.
But those who know their history of rising to power know that in order to break through the infighting and bloodshed among the various factions in the hotel, the two of them had a very clear division of labor after entering the hotel, and their weak start left them both somewhat overwhelmed.
At that time, Mu Chen's main focus was on the power struggle with the old ministers. Apart from bringing Jiang Hailang into high society and enabling him to gain more resources in a very short period of time, he could not provide any other support or assistance.
But resources are static; to transform them into connections, it still takes some effort and skill.
It's fair to say that Jiang Hailang's rise to the position of Sales Director at Platinum Hotels in just three years was entirely due to his own efforts. After all, the sales industry is all about performance; the most capable should be in charge.
Therefore, Jiang Hailang held a high position in Platinum Hotel, and even those shareholders who constantly disagreed with Mu Chen would be wary of him.
After all, Jiang Hailang has countless customer resources at his disposal, and no one wants to offend someone who can make money for the hotel.
If Gao Jiali had known back then that Jiang Hailang would possess boundless wealth, rise to the upper echelons of society, and be surrounded by socialites and beautiful women three years later, she would never have broken up with him.
Moreover, the rich second-generation heir that Gao Jiali chose was not a loyal person; he was simply resentful because he had pursued her for so long without success and wanted to have her.
The spot he reserved for Gao Jiali was just a contract employee position. When other newcomers with stronger connections came in next time, she, who had no connections, would naturally be eliminated.
When the rich second-generation gave her a job and then abandoned her, Gao Jiali thought: at least she still had the job she wanted, so it wasn't a complete loss. Little did she know, she not only suffered a loss, but a devastating one.
Later, I heard news about Jiang Hailang from old classmates. Jiang Hailang changed girlfriends frequently, and he was extremely generous, giving away luxury goods without batting an eye.
Gao Jiali knew that although no one said it to her, she had long been a laughing stock in her classmates' eyes. After all, she had been blind to Jiang Hailang's potential and had gone with the rich second-generation heir, only to be discarded by him after he got tired of her, losing both her reputation and her job.
Now she's actually trying to curry favor with Jiang Yucheng, just to get a livestreaming job from his influencer company.
Jiang Yucheng smiled at Jiang Hailang and said, "President Lang? What a coincidence."
Lin Xiaoran asked, "Do you know them?"
"It's easier to talk to someone you know, so I can get an A card." Before the others could answer whether she knew them, she naturally pulled Jiang Hailang to sit in the empty seat opposite Jiang Yucheng and Gao Jiali.
Jiang Hailang beckoned to the waiter and ordered two bottles of Ace of Spades. "Today's drinks are on me. I hope Mr. Jiang will give me a chance."
Jiang Yucheng didn't refuse, "Then thank you very much for your kindness, Mr. Lang."
Jiang Hailang leaned close to Lin Xiaoran's ear and whispered to her without any hesitation, "My ex-girlfriend."
Lin Xiaoran turned her head and looked at Jiang Hailang excitedly; this was too thrilling.
Then she suddenly got up and sat on Jiang Hailang's lap, cupped his face in her hands, leaned forward, and kissed him hard on the cheek.
This was her way of returning the favor, a gesture of gratitude for being helped in an emergency.
Jiang Hailang paused for a moment, then smiled. Although Lin Xiaoran had kissed her own finger.
Jiang Yucheng, sitting across from her, smiled as if watching a good show, while Gao Jiali's face turned pale. Of course, it could also be the lighting effects. Because tonight's balloon party was about to begin.
Lin Xiaoran poured herself and Jiang Hailang a glass of wine, clinked glasses and drank them down in one gulp, then took his hand and mingled into the dance floor.
Balloon parties involve dropping hundreds or thousands of colorful balloons from above the dance floor, and everyone pops them one by one with their hands or feet. It's said to relieve stress, which is why Kiss T often organizes these kinds of events.
Some balloons were filled with food coloring, and when they popped, the liquid paint would burst out, staining people's heads, faces, and clothes with all sorts of colors.
In an instant, the dance floor descended into chaos, filled with screams. People, whether they knew each other or not, scrambled to step on the balloons beneath their feet or snatched balloons from other people's feet.
In that scene, it was impossible to tell who was the demon and who was the monster.
Lin Xiaoran held Jiang Hailang's hand tightly, afraid he would get separated from her in the crowd. She would burst balloons and laugh heartily at him, or hug him in celebration. When she got tired, she would return to her booth, have a drink, rest for a while, and then continue to mingle with the crowd.
Jiang Hailang watched as his understated yet expensive white shirt was now covered in graffiti.
As if that wasn't enough, Lin Xiaoran dipped her fingers in paint and casually drew on his body. Jiang Hailang didn't seem to mind and even laughed along with her actions. Then, he dragged her to snatch other people's balloons.
Seeing that Gao Jiali had lost her fawning demeanor, Jiang Yucheng asked with a smile, "What's wrong, Miss Gao? Is your ex-boyfriend having fun with a young girl? Are you jealous?"
Gao Jiali laughed self-deprecatingly. It turned out that Jiang Yucheng's willingness to meet with her wasn't because he intended to collaborate, but because he had found out she was Jiang Hailang's ex-girlfriend.
In the end, she still had to rely on the man she had abandoned.
*
People who frequent nightclubs know this unspoken but generally accepted rule: men who leave before 2 a.m. are either out having sex with a girl they like, or they're going straight home to sleep.
Jiang Hailang left the nightclub at 2 a.m. sharp, but it wasn't either of the above two scenarios. He took a beautiful and lovely girl with him, but instead of clapping or going home to sleep, he obediently took her home.
Standing downstairs at Lin Xiaoran's apartment building, Jiang Hailang pressed the elevator button. He then asked Lin Xiaoran again, "Are you sure you don't need me to take you up?"
"No need." Lin Xiaoran's eyes narrowed slightly, her cheeks flushed, and her words were somewhat slurred. "I live with my parents. If they see you get me drunk and then dare to come to my house, they'll definitely beat you up."
Ha, what do you mean he got her drunk? She was clearly having too much fun and insisted on drinking, and he couldn't stop her.
Moreover, it's acceptable to let someone do good deeds anonymously, but it's unacceptable to get beaten up for doing good deeds.
Jiang Hailang pressed the floor button for Lin Xiaoran, then held her hand and made her hold onto the handrail in the middle of the elevator before stepping out of the elevator himself and watching the elevator doors slowly close.
After getting into the back seat of the car and telling the driver his home address, Jiang Hailang opened the window to let the cool night breeze dispel the smell of alcohol on his body.
Although he hadn't drunk much, he was still somewhat tipsy.
Lin Xiaoran, what a free-spirited and unrestrained young woman. He had never had such a carefree time in college, but she was able to continue living freely and unconventionally after entering society.
On the way home, Jiang Hailang asked Lin Xiaoran what she would choose if she faced a choice between love and career when she graduated from university.
Lin Xiaoran smiled and told him, "Adults don't make choices. I want love, future, freedom, and dreams!"
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