Friday, November 3, 2023, cloudy.

6:00 AM, Shenzhen Bay No. 1.

With the pleasant sound of the alarm clock, Liu Qingning propped herself up from the soft bed and used voice control to turn on the room lights. The gentle light instantly filled the space.

She tidied her messy hair and instinctively touched the smooth Green Gourd Pendant hanging on her chest, whispering, "Good morning."

Throwing off the covers, she got out of bed. The cool air quickly woke her up.

Stretching lazily, she grabbed her phone and checked for messages—none unread.

Her eyes flickered subtly as she changed into her workout clothes and headed outside.

"Good morning, Miss Qing Ning," Auntie Mei greeted softly from the kitchen where she was preparing breakfast.

"Good morning, Auntie Mei."

Arriving at the fitness corner in the living room, Liu Qingning turned on the treadmill, placed her phone on the front stand, and began warming up.

She knew that at this moment, Tang Song was most likely still asleep with Wen Ruan.

In fact, before Wen Ruan left for Yangcheng, she had deliberately called Liu Qingning, speaking with a tone both tentative and intimate, even arranging to visit her alone in Shenzhen when she had time.

If it were before, Liu Qingning would have instinctively refused.

The thought of another woman sharing a night with Tang Song and then coming to see her made her deeply uncomfortable.

But now, the matter with Su Yu weighed heavily on her chest like a massive mountain, suffocating and overwhelming.

Compared to that, Wen Ruan's presence seemed somewhat more bearable.

The treadmill’s speed gradually increased, and her heart rate quickly reached the optimal fat-burning zone.

Liu Qingning glanced out at the city still asleep and breathed harder as sweat dripped down her temple.

Her thoughts surged like a raging torrent, unceasing.

The Xuanji Optical World financing project was about to launch, and she would represent Qingmi AI traveling to Modu.

Soon, she would officially meet the legendary "top beauty."

Not on TV, not at a concert, not in the news,

but in real life, in Tang Song’s world.

Face to face, with no retreat.

Liu Qingning felt an unprecedented tension and fear.

No one could ignore Su Yu’s beauty and talent;

even women admired such a beauty, let alone men.

At the same time, waves of regret surged up from her heart again.

She had grown up basking in the spotlight, gifted, top of her class, and stunning—this had shaped a nearly arrogant rationality and independence.

But this environment also caused some blind spots in her emotional understanding.

She couldn’t fully empathize with Tang Song’s feelings for her.

She always believed that as long as she was good enough, excellent enough, he would always follow her, meeting her at her peak.

She took his pursuit for granted but never truly valued the exhaustion and longing in his eyes.

She never imagined she would come to this point, unable to accept a future that was a failure without Tang Song.

Over the years since meeting Tang Song, there had been other girls around him.

Whether classmates or cute underclassmates.

Back in high school, Tang Song was tall, slim, sunny, and very likable.

But because of her presence, those girls had tacitly and voluntarily stepped back.

Tang Song’s gaze had never left her.

Of course, apart from them, Liu Qingning remembered one girl deeply from the second high school.

She was also Tang Song’s junior high school classmate.

Her name was Zhang Yan.

Starting from first year of high school, she occasionally saw her on campus at Yancheng No. 1 High School, always with Tang Song.

A woman’s sixth sense plus natural intelligence made her realize this girl was after Tang Song.

The reason she still remembered was because over two years ago, she met her in the Imperial Capital as well.

Once at Tiantongyuan South subway station,

another time at the headquarters building of Gaosi Education.

Her university startup, Century Zhixue, was itself an AI-driven intelligent education technology company serving educational training institutions.

When she represented the company for cooperation talks, she had a chance encounter with Zhang Yan.

She vaguely guessed some things but, out of selfishness, never told Tang Song.

Later, as policies tightened, Gaosi Education’s business sharply shrank and was even publicly reprimanded by the education committee, so cooperation talks naturally failed.

While she was lost in such thoughts,

“Ding ding~~” a WeChat video call popped up.

[Tang Song]

Liu Qingning couldn’t help but smile first, then her expression tightened as she slowed the treadmill speed.

After a few seconds, she answered the video call.

“What’s up? Exhausted from last night? Getting up so late today? Don’t let Wen Ruan drain you dry!”

Tang Song said as he walked over to some gym equipment to warm up.

As expected, when he started talking about work and AI, Liu Qingning’s attention instantly snapped back.

Tang Song quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Because in the afternoon, he had a high-intensity ball game with the big sister, and before sleeping, both were very “calm.”

But at two in the morning, the big sister launched a night raid and bit him.

Tang Song was groggy and caught off guard.

He struggled hard to defeat Wen Ruan.

They tossed and turned until three in the morning before finally falling asleep, which explained the late rising.

An hour later.

Tang Song, drenched in sweat, walked out of the hotel gym and returned to the suite.

Wen Ruan was still sound asleep, curled up in soft bedding, only a smooth, pale shoulder exposed.

Tang Song stepped lightly into the bathroom.

After a shower, he changed into a semi-formal outfit.

He used the room’s tablet to order a breakfast with strong Yangcheng characteristics.

Soon, the doorbell rang, and a delicate breakfast cart was delivered.

Tang Song glanced at the time and stepped to the master bedroom bed.

Leaning down, he whispered softly near Wen Ruan’s ear, “Zhuangzhuang, time to get up for breakfast.”

Wen Ruan’s long eyelashes fluttered, emitting a lazy hum with a nasal undertone.

She slowly opened her eyes, her peach blossom-shaped eyes hazy.

She stretched seductively, and the LaPerla silk nightgown clung tightly to her body, revealing her breathtaking E-cup figure.

Then she hugged Tang Song’s waist, lifted the hem of his shirt, and pressed her face against his firm lower abdomen, gently rubbing.

The kiss traveled from his eight-pack abs down to his mermaid line, lingering there.

Tang Song’s breathing immediately became heavy. He ran his hand through her silky hair, feeling the delicate touch on his scalp.

His other hand traced the edge of her nightgown, savoring the warmth and fullness unique to the big sister.

Wen Ruan licked her plump lips and said in a husky dominatrix tone, “Your figure is so tempting. If I had to be with you every day, I wouldn’t be able to handle it.”

Tang Song’s appearance perfectly matched her preferences.

Now with mermaid lines, a dog’s waist, and chocolate abs...

It was deadly—he simply couldn’t resist.

Tang Song blinked and leaned close to whisper in her ear, “Then find a teammate.”

“Hehe, I knew you had that in mind.” Wen Ruan bit his lower abdomen and then gave him a flirtatious glance. “Actually, it’s not impossible.”

“Ah? Really?” Tang Song swallowed hard and gripped her hand tightly.

Wen Ruan nodded, panting, “Liu Qingning is right here in Shenzhen. Tomorrow’s the weekend. Invite her over. The presidential suite bed is huge—three of us sleeping won’t be a problem.”

Hearing this, Tang Song’s eyelid twitched, “Th-That’s better not...”

Playing that kind of game with Liu Qingning?

Just thinking about it made him want to explode.

With Bai Yueguang’s personality, she might really use scissors to cut him “off.”

“Ting!” Wen Ruan hummed lightly and rolled her eyes. “You just think I’m easy to bully. If it were Qing Ning, you’d be soft immediately.”

“That’s because you’re too tempting.”

“Get lost.”

They bantered a bit.

At the dining room, seated by the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the entire Yangcheng cityscape, they enjoyed a leisurely and delicious breakfast.

Dim sum, wonton noodles, ginkgo, scallop, and abalone congee...

Both ate to their heart’s content.

After breakfast, Wen Ruan went into the walk-in closet. When she came out, she had changed into a bespoke professional suit.

Elegant and capable, with exquisite makeup and confident eyes.

A stark contrast to the previous lazy and alluring enchantress.

Wen Ruan raised her chin slightly and said calmly, “Let’s go, President Tang. It’s time to work.”

Just as she turned to get her bag, Tang Song pulled her into his arms for a wet kiss.

At 9:00 AM,

They arrived at Xingyun International Group’s Yangcheng branch in the Tianhe District’s R&

F Yingkai Plaza.

This location was on the west side of the Zhujiang New Town CBD central axis, right next to the IFC Four Seasons Hotel where they stayed.

As the core branch of South China, the company occupied the 39th floor of the building, leasing half a floor—1200 square meters of office space with high-end reception halls, meeting rooms, and live broadcast studios, employing over 120 people.

It covered nearly all business sectors.

Wen Ruan’s arrival attracted great attention from the branch.

As she and Tang Song entered the 39th floor branch side by side, all the executives waiting in the reception hall immediately approached with professional and warm smiles.

“Director Wen!”

“Director Wen, good morning!”

“Welcome, Director Wen, for your guidance!”

Amidst a flurry of respectful greetings, Wen Ruan smiled gracefully and scanned the crowd, pausing briefly on a few familiar faces.

She had come to the branch multiple times before and was somewhat an “old acquaintance.”

But times had changed—what used to be ordinary marketing planners had now become group leaders. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novelꜰire.net

Her mood was indescribable.

Wen Ruan introduced some of the branch’s key leaders to Tang Song.

Then she turned slightly and elegantly said, “This is Tang Song, chairman of Rongliu Capital. He will join Xingyun International Group in a joint investment in Smart Chain Future.”

Branch general manager Wang Chongxian’s smile instantly froze upon hearing “Rongliu Capital.” His pupils visibly contracted.

Several other senior executives’ faces also turned shockingly pale.

As media and marketing industry executives, their sensitivity to information far exceeded ordinary people.

Just last week, the name that stirred the entire Hong Kong capital market and exploded countless financial headlines was no stranger!

They never expected the chairman of that company to be so young and handsome.

They had even speculated whether he was Director Wen’s “boyfriend.”

“Chairman Tang! Long time no see, it’s an honor!” Wang Chongxian almost immediately stepped forward, grasping Tang Song’s hands and bowing slightly.

Others quickly surrounded them, enthusiasm bordering on flattery.

Wen Ruan playfully winked at her man, eyes full of pride.

After a warm and grand greeting, Wang Chongxian personally led the group into the conference room.

A temporary due diligence team composed of Xingyun International’s Yangcheng branch elites was already waiting, and both sides quickly got to work.

Half an hour later,

The convoy set off toward the Smart Chain Future headquarters in the Tianyu Business Building, Yuexiu District.

...

At noon,

Shucheng Technology.

“Let’s go, Zhang Yan,” Lulu tapped her cubicle partition. “Time to eat! Time to eat!”

“Oh, coming.” Zhang Yan quickly saved the article she had just finished writing, tidied her desk, and stood up.

The two squeezed into the slow-moving elevator and went downstairs.

They walked down the street for a while, then entered a cramped nearby fast-food restaurant they knew well.

The air was filled with a mixture of cooking fumes and the aroma of rice.

Zhang Yan ordered the usual 12-yuan boxed meal with one meat and one vegetable dish.

Lulu was more generous, ordering an 18-yuan combo with two meat dishes and one vegetable.

They sat at a greasy small table.

Lulu excitedly dug into her rice. “Zhang Yan, you don’t know—my worst-performing fund has fully recovered! Including a few others, I’ve made 2,200 yuan this month!”

Zhang Yan widened her eyes in surprise. “That much?”

“Yep! Too bad I didn’t dare to buy stocks back then, or I’d have made even more.”

Zhang Yan silently ate her fried dried tofu with pork and shredded kidney beans, listening to Lulu casually dropping professional terms she’d picked up from forums like “hundred-billion-dollar mother fund,” “market sentiment reversal,” and “geopolitical benefits.”

She felt these things were like clouds drifting high above, far removed from her own life.

She didn’t have as much savings as Lulu—only 17,000 yuan in her account.

By the end of the month, she had to pay three months’ rent in one lump sum and feed a very hungry cat named Juzi.

As they chatted, the topic naturally returned to business travel reimbursements and salaries.

Lulu lowered her voice, complaining, “Our company’s getting worse. Recently, it’s all about attendance checks and discipline—petty things that drag us into meetings. I’m telling you, when a company is going downhill, the bosses love to torment employees. It’s a rule! They want to force us out ourselves!”

Zhang Yan nodded, worry and anxiety swirling in her eyes.

Even the rice tasted bland.

After lunch, they returned to the office.

The atmosphere inside was even more gloomy and oppressive than in the morning.

Zhang Yan sat at her desk feeling restless.

Her eyes kept drifting involuntarily toward the clock in the lower right corner.

Lulu nearby asked curiously, “What’s wrong, Zhang Yan? Not feeling well?”

Zhang Yan shook her head faintly and whispered, “I... want to request two hours of time off this afternoon.”

She had missed out on those two cherished manga books last night because of sudden overtime.

Today was Friday, and no matter what, she had to get them.

“Then just ask quickly! You have over 200 hours of time off accrued that can’t be cashed out and will expire by year-end. Better use it now!”

Zhang Yan softly responded, “Mm,” opened DingTalk, and clicked the “Request Time Off” button at the top right.

Staring at the familiar time-off request page, she hesitated.

Thinking of her manga books,

she took a deep breath, quickly selected the time and type of leave, and clicked “Submit.”

Immediately, the process status showed her request had reached her superior, Bai Rui, awaiting approval.

Time passed bit by bit.

Zhang Yan worked diligently but couldn’t help refreshing her DingTalk page occasionally.

The request had not been approved.

Anxiety crept in her heart. She opened the chat with Bai Rui, typed a reminder message, but before sending, deleted it word by word.

After 3 PM,

Zhang Yan lowered her gaze, mind heavy.

“Ding—”

A group message suddenly popped up.

[Content Director Bai Rong: “@Everyone, stay and work overtime tonight. The big boss is having a meeting outside but needs to be back by 7 PM. Try to stay until after 7.”]

A ripple of murmurs spread through the office.

Soon, their small coworkers’ group chat ignited fierce discussions.

[“No way? I already promised my girlfriend to go to the movies!”]

[“Whatever, just work overtime. The boss probably wants us to ‘show face’ to avoid layoffs.”]

[“I think Bai is just trying to ‘show face’ himself, scared he’ll be laid off first.”]

Zhang Yan bit her lip as her heart sank further.

Just as Lulu said, the company was cracking down on attendance and discipline to seize opportunities for layoffs without severance.

Everyone in the office had become cautious;

even slackers were gone, and taking leave was rare.

Time ticked closer to 4 PM.

From the office entrance, a plump figure approached.

It was Content Director Bai Rong.

Zhang Yan, sitting at a cubicle near the corridor edge, began trembling uncontrollably.

Footsteps drew nearer.

Suddenly, she stood up quietly, whispering, “Brother Bai.”

Bai Rong, passing by her, glanced over impatiently. “What is it? Talk later.”

He waved her off, signaling her to sit as he prepared to continue walking.

Zhang Yan lifted her head. “I requested two hours of time off on DingTalk this afternoon. Please approve it.”

Bai Rui’s steps stopped, and his brows knitted tightly. “Didn’t you see the message I just sent in the group?”

“Swish swish swish—”

Colleagues nearby all looked over with varied expressions.

“I saw it,” Zhang Yan avoided his gaze, nervously clenching her fists at her sides, “but I have urgent matters and must leave by 4.”

Bai Rui’s tone turned angry, “You have to take leave today? Zhang Yan, are you deliberately making trouble for me?”

The company was having business problems and payment difficulties. The boss was tightening finance and HR—layoffs were imminent.

His position as content director was shaky.

At times like this, he wanted to show the boss his “effort” and “loyalty” by having everyone in his department work overtime.

But now, the usually obedient and honest Zhang Yan dared to undermine him in public!

Zhang Yan’s lips trembled, fingers tightening.

She was very introverted and, due to childhood experiences, always followed rules, unwilling to offend or anger anyone, especially direct leaders like Bai Rui.

Her handwriting was like her personality—until high school graduation, it looked like a primary school student’s, stroke by stroke, neat and careful, afraid of making mistakes or going astray.

Only after university, practicing calligraphy alone, did her stiff pen tip gradually develop a personal style.

She knew the safest and most unoffensive way was to transfer money to the Shiguang Bookstore owner via WeChat and ask him to hold the books for her until the weekend.

But... she really didn’t want to miss out again.

In her mind appeared the neatly arranged 32 volumes of Dragon Ball on her bookshelf.

She wanted to get them immediately.

She had never before wanted something as strongly as she did at this moment.

An unprecedented impulse surged and collided within her chest.

“Keep working, I have other things,” Bai Rong said impatiently and started walking toward his office again.

“Clap!” A crisp sound echoed in the quiet office.

All eyes in the office turned toward Zhang Yan as she suddenly closed her laptop, grabbed her backpack, and said to Bai Rui’s retreating figure, “I’m leaving first.”

Then, without looking back, she walked toward the company exit.

At first, her steps were hesitant but grew faster and steadier.

The moment she stepped out of the glass door, the gazes of colleagues and leaders behind her seemed to instantly cut off.

It was as if she had broken free from an invisible, long-oppressed cage.

Her steps became lighter than ever.

She rushed into the elevator, out of Huiming Building, and into Yangcheng’s cool and free afternoon air.

Running, subway, transfers, shared bikes...

When she finally arrived, gasping for breath, in front of the Shiguang Bookstore, dusk was already falling.

Seeing the warmly lit sign still glowing, Zhang Yan’s face broke into a huge smile.

Pushing open the door, the wind chime jingled.

“Tap! Tap! Tap!”

“Boss, I’m here! Where are volumes 33 and 34 of Dragon Ball?”

The bookstore owner, a gentle middle-aged man, was arranging shelves. Seeing Zhang Yan burst in out of breath, he first paused, then immediately reacted.

“Oh, right here, right here. I’ve been keeping them safely for you.”

He smiled and took out two manga volumes carefully wrapped in kraft paper from under the counter.

Zhang Yan reached out and solemnly accepted the two books.

The moment her fingertips touched the pages, it felt like she was holding a regained world.

Her fingers trembled as she unwrapped the packages, repeatedly checking the books.

Qiongdang Photography and Art Publishing House, 2009 edition.

The condition was very new, only the edges of the pages showed slight yellowing from age.

After confirming, she looked up and bowed deeply to the owner. “Thank you.”

The owner, embarrassed by her serious attitude, said, “Young lady, you’re too polite. These last two volumes are relatively rare, so I quoted you 70 yuan each before. How about 120 yuan total as a discount for you?”

“Just 70 each, please.” Zhang Yan quickly took out her phone and scanned the payment code for 140 yuan.

The books truly belonged to her now.

She finally completed the full set of 34 volumes of Dragon Ball, the 2009 Qiongdang edition.

“Want to look at other books? We got a lot of new stock recently,” the owner asked with a smile.

“No, thank you.” Zhang Yan thanked him again and carefully placed the two manga volumes into her backpack like precious treasures.

She left the bookstore.

Standing at the street corner, watching the endless flow of cars and flashing neon lights, she zoned out for a long time.

Only when her phone rang did she come back to reality.

She answered.

Lulu’s voice came through, “Hey? Zhang Yan, are you okay? I kept messaging you but got no reply.”

“I’m fine,” Zhang Yan said softly. “I got the books.”

Lulu lowered her voice, “Sigh, you really upset the chubby guy. You were a bit impulsive before. At least don’t embarrass him in front of others.”

“I...” Zhang Yan’s lips moved, eyes downcast, no reply.

“Alright, alright, glad you’re okay. I’m worried about you. I’ll come see you tonight.”

Zhang Yan hesitated, then said, “Mm.”

Hanging up, she sighed and rode a shared bike toward the subway station.

Twilight gradually swallowed her thin figure.

Liwan District, Lanxin Garden Community.

“Ah—”

The old security door was pushed open.

“Meow—” Juzi immediately sprang out from the sofa corner, walking with a lively cat’s gait and affectionately rubbing against her pant leg, purring contentedly.

Zhang Yan crouched and lovingly stroked Juzi’s fluffy head, then hurried to the living room desk.

Opening her backpack, she solemnly took out the two brand-new manga volumes, moving aside a row of books on the simple shelf, and neatly placed these last two inside.

With that, the entire 34-volume 2009 Qiongdang edition of Dragon Ball was complete.

Her finger slid slowly from the spine of the first volume, volume by volume, until touching the edge of the last one.

Time seemed compressed at this moment, and those scattered, dust-covered memories of youth and manga flooded her heart like a tide.

She closed her eyes and exhaled deeply and gently.

The wish buried in her heart for so long had finally reached a moment to be fulfilled.

Outside, the sky had completely darkened.

Zhang Yan sat upright at the desk, took out a sheet of letterhead paper embossed with the “Yancheng Agricultural University” header, and a familiar carbon pen from the drawer.

Unlike in past years, this time her heart held no hesitation or fear.

It seemed Dragon Ball had truly given her the courage to do anything.

She flattened the paper, poised the pen tip, and began writing.

Neatly, the words appeared on the paper: “Classmate, hello:—”

...

8:00 PM, Presidential Suite, 97th floor, Four Seasons Hotel, quiet private office.

“Ding dong—” The WeChat notification suddenly rang.

Tang Song’s eyes lifted from his laptop to the phone.

Several new message notifications lay quietly on the lock screen.

[Breathing in Smiles: photo.jpg...]

Seeing this familiar yet strange nickname, Tang Song’s thoughts paused imperceptibly, and memories surged.

It seemed a few months ago, this “Breathing in Smiles” had added him as a friend.

Because she called him “Classmate Tang Song,” he accepted.

He unlocked the phone, opened the notifications, and entered the long-silent chat window.

Previous chat records remained from four months ago.

[Breathing in Smiles: “Hello, Classmate Tang Song. I’m not asking for help with Pinduoduo, not borrowing money, nor trying to sell anything. I have no ill intent. I just haven’t figured out what to say yet. Could you please not delete me?”]

[Tang Song: “Okay, classmate.”]

[Breathing in Smiles: “Thank you.”]

Below were several photos she had sent.

Tang Song opened the photos.

One showed carefully photographed letterhead, filling the screen.

The edges were slightly curled, obviously carefully preserved for a long time.

Handwritten words appeared.

Neat, stroke by stroke, with an almost clumsy earnestness, like a primary school student practicing, afraid to make a mistake, writing cautiously.

Then, lines of text flowed before his eyes.

Classmate, hello:

I have thought for a long time about what title to use that would be both formal and sincere;

and what opening words would not seem abrupt or awkward.

In the end, I decided on the simplest and clumsiest way.

I think the most romantic thing about paper media might be that it can be folded, touched, and preserved for a long time, becoming tangible proof of time.

But my handwriting is far from beautiful;

it’s always so ordinary, lacking character. I can only try to make it neat, but I’m too embarrassed to really send this letter full of emotions to you.

So I can only send it electronically like this.

I guess you don’t remember me much anymore, so I won’t introduce myself (actually, I’m a little ashamed).

I’m already 26 years old this year and don’t know when life’s waves will push me into the next stage. So before everything changes, I want to simply summarize and say goodbye to my past.

From hometown to Yancheng, from high school to university, then drifting from Imperial Capital to the southern Yangcheng.

During this long ten years, my heart seemed composed of only three things: study, work, and you.

I have no intention of bothering you or expecting anything.

I just want you to know that there was once someone whose gaze followed you for a very long time.

I don’t know if you have read a book called “Scenes Everywhere, Me Nowhere.”

If I had to precisely summarize everything I am about to say, I think nothing fits better than this title.

You might notice the Tuesday playground is emptier than usual;

you’d remember which volume of “Slam Dunk” the bookstore across from Yancheng No. 1 got;

you’d know the spicy hot pot at Yanke University cafeteria raised its price by one yuan;

you might even be momentarily distracted by the broadcast in the crowded Imperial Capital subway.

But you probably wouldn’t notice me.

I have tried hard to catch glimpses of every detail of your life from afar.

The chances of meeting you weren’t many, and I cherished each one.

When you appeared before me, a square frame seemed to appear immediately in front of my eyes.

It wasn’t very big—just enough to fit your figure;

nor was it lasting—a Shakespearean sonnet was just enough to finish reading.

And I stood quietly outside that frame, watching until both the frame and your figure vanished.

Life afterward was like a book flipped rapidly by the wind.

I drifted from one city to another, from north to south.

Sometimes, waking in the damp cold nights of Yangcheng, listening to the fine rain outside the window,

I would see you wearing a white shirt and faded blue jeans, cycling past me.

The image of that clean, shining boy supported me through countless long, hard days.

Faces from youth blurred long ago, but your outline grows clearer day by day in my heart.

This is the complete 2009 edition of Dragon Ball I spent a long time collecting. If you’re willing, I want to send it to you.

I imagine your life will be wonderful, like the shonen manga you love, full of passionate comrades and thrilling chapters.

So, I wish you to always be as passionate, brave, and bright-eyed as you were in your youth.