Tan Shengmei could be considered a career woman.
In public, she gave off the impression of being highly efficient and decisive.
It was rare for anyone to see her blushing and shy.
People have dual personalities.
In Luo Yang’s opinion, the gentle side of Tan Shengmei’s heart was her true temperament.
The tough demeanor she exhibited at work was just a façade.
Sometimes, to survive, one must make some changes to deceive others, which can make one more suited for competition in the workplace.
Aside from her family and extremely close friends, her colleagues probably had no idea she could also be softly feminine.
Luo Yang laughed, "Sister Tan, I often wonder if you might be Sister Tan’s twin sister or older sister."
Upon hearing this, Tan Shengmei laughed with a snort.
"Why would you think that?" she asked.
So Luo Yang shared his thoughts, and concluded, "Sister Tan, you seem quite different in private."
Hearing that, Tan Shengmei nodded.
Others saw her as the sort of woman who was brash, but she felt she was more on the gentle side.
"That’s perfectly normal," said Tan Shengmei.
"Does that mean you just put on a fierce front normally?" Luo Yang laughed.
She wasn’t exactly fierce, but the Tan Shengmei he saw in the hospital did seem quite stern.
Tan Shengmei replied with a smile, "When working, you can’t always be grinning from ear to ear, can you? That would leave a bad impression. Let’s talk about something serious now."
In truth, Luo Yang wasn’t mentally prepared to talk about serious matters yet. He hesitated, "Sister Tan, I wanted to ask if Xi Yangyang is as serious as you when she’s working."
This question stumped Tan Shengmei.
After all, she worked in a different place from her best friend, Lin Xixin, and hadn’t really seen her work demeanor.
"You could just ask her when you have the time," said Tan Shengmei.
Just as Luo Yang was about to change the subject, Tan Shengmei cut to the chase,
"Niu Zai, I’m here to ask for your help. Stop beating around the bush."
Luo Yang chuckled and could only nod in agreement.
The task she had in mind was not particularly difficult but also not simple.
Luo Yang and Tan Shengmei were both aware of the topic to be discussed next.
Because the topic was extraordinary, neither found it easy to initiate.
Luo Yang had not rehearsed at all.
He had thought that all he needed to do was follow Tan Shengmei’s instructions without giving it much thought himself.
However, upon seeing Tan Shengmei, he realized that she, too, hadn’t quite figured out how to proceed.
Her appearance suggested that she was waiting for Luo Yang’s arrival so they could brainstorm a solution together.
With constant marriage pressure from her parents, Tan Shengmei wanted to find someone to pretend to be her boyfriend to fool her parents and stop them from urging her to find a partner all the time.
But such a scheme, requiring someone to play a role, demanded caution.
If word got out, it would be incredibly embarrassing.
Not just for her, but for her parents as well.
Therefore, although Tan Shengmei had harbored this thought for a long time, she had not acted upon it until now.
But upon meeting Luo Yang, she felt he was a trustworthy friend.
At the very least, she believed Luo Yang wouldn’t casually secret with others.
She had invited Luo Yang today to discuss the details.
In fact, Luo Yang felt embarrassed, but he found it difficult to refuse her sincere request.
He worried about giving himself away when meeting her parents.
"Sister Tan, what if your parents see through the act?" Luo Yang said with an awkward smile.
Tan Shengmei also laughed at this question.
Luo Yang really wanted to hear Tan Shengmei’s plans.
However, she needed to gather her thoughts before she knew where to start.