Marry a female star at a bargain price

Chapter 254, Section 255: Lin Xiao's New Position
Lin Xiao and Xi Xi stayed at home all day.

I didn't go anywhere.

As the sun rose in the east, they sat on the balcony in the living room, basking in the warm sunlight while having breakfast.

I chatted and watched TV during the day, and before I knew it, the morning had passed.

I didn't eat lunch. I probably ate snacks all morning and didn't do anything, so I wasn't hungry at all at lunchtime.

I'm a little sleepy.

Back in the master bedroom upstairs, the two slept soundly until it got dark.

Xi Xi was startled when she woke up and hurriedly got up to make dinner, but was pulled back into bed by the still-drowsy Lin Xiao.

"Hmm... Stop fooling around, let's cook and eat, I'm starving!"

Xi Xi pounded on him, but lay on his chest without using any force, her whole body limp.

Lin Xiao's eyes were half-open, and his hands began to wander.

"Hmm...I'm hungry too..."

"I'm hungry and you won't let me cook. I didn't eat lunch, and now I'm eating for two..."

I'll do it in a bit!

"Then you go..."

Before she could finish speaking, Lin Xiao turned and hugged her tightly, leaving a very precise opening in her stomach.

His eyes then opened.

Bathed in the bluish-green light streaming through the window, they appeared hazy and indistinct in each other's vision, like a photo taken with a low-resolution brick phone from over a decade ago.

Before Xixi could react, she realized something was amiss.

She surprisingly didn't refuse.

"You...I haven't eaten, I have no energy..."

"I can do this kind of thing as long as I have the strength!"

"..."

Xi Xi was speechless.

It seems I've exhausted all the excuses I could come up with, and now I really have no other choice.

She pursed her lips, her whole body was burning hot, and her eyes were shy.

Even though she was already pregnant, she still felt more nervous than ever before because she hadn't experienced the process in several months and was suddenly receiving signals from a man.

Even if the person sending her the radio signals is the same person.

Lin Xiao held his wife tightly, feeling the tension in her body, and stopped.

"nervous?"

"……Um!"

Xixi made that nasal sound indistinctly.

Lin Xiao paused, withdrew his hand, and quickly got up to leave the room.

"Ugh……"

Xi Xi called out to him, looking completely bewildered.

Lin Xiao didn't turn on the light. He turned around in the dim light and saw his wife, whose hair and eyes were both disheveled.

"what happened?"

"……fine……"

"I'll go cook. Aren't you hungry?" Lin Xiao said deliberately.

"……Um."

Xixi lowered her head and remained silent.

Lin Xiao grinned mischievously, bracing himself on the bed with both hands and leaning closer: "What? Don't want me to leave?"

Xi Xi felt embarrassed when her secret thoughts were guessed, but she was too shy to admit it.

She grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. The soft cotton texture hit Lin Xiao's chest with almost no force, only making him blink.

“Who can’t bear to part with you…” Xixi whispered.

"If you can't bear to part with me, just say so. We're a proper married couple, what can't we say?" Lin Xiao teased with a smile.

Xi Xi became even more stubborn: "No!"

Lin Xiao straightened up: "That's good. I'll be going then?"

Xi Xi remained silent.

Lin Xiao pretended to actually leave.

As soon as he opened the door, he heard a shout from behind him: "Hey~"

Before the words were even finished, he quickly slammed the door shut with a loud bang.

The sound had not yet died down.

He then turned around sharply, and with a steady but not too forceful motion, pounced back onto the bed.

Xixi was still in a daze.

The dry firewood burst into flames as if it had encountered an open flame.

The only sound in the room was the intense burning sound.

The sky darkened completely, and the world turned into a giant mosaic, with gray, shimmering squares everywhere you looked.

It's so virtual it's almost unreal.

"Brother... the doctor said I can't get too excited... please be careful..."

"Yeah. I know."

Lin Xiao added in a low voice, "I'll be quick!"

The abrupt line almost made Xixi burst out laughing, remembering that her husband used to be most afraid of hearing the word "fast".

However, she didn't have time to lose focus.

Soon, his entire body was engulfed by the scalding lava, and he lost consciousness.

Half an hour later...

Xixi was the only one left in the room, lying on her side on the bed with a pillow under her waist.

Still savoring the intensity of what had just happened, her heart was still pounding, and her face was burning like lava after a volcanic eruption.

Another half hour passed.

Xixi followed the fragrance downstairs and changed into a nightgown... the one that had been torn to shreds made her look like a refugee.

"Honey, wake up! Dinner's just ready, come and eat!"

Lin Xiao's face was beaming with joy, as if he had won the lottery.

Seeing him like this, Xixi felt inexplicably angry.

"Humph!"

She snorted coldly, sat down leisurely, and looked at the three dishes and one soup on the table, which were not exquisite but quite plentiful. She was delighted but refused to show it on her face.

My husband made so much delicious food in just half an hour! He's really fast!

"What is this?" Xixi took a bite with her fork.

"Scrambled eggs with tomatoes? Don't you recognize that?"

"Why is it so sour?" Xixi rolled her eyes.

"Tomatoes, of course they're sour..."

"My mom always puts sugar in it when she makes it, why don't you?"

"..."

Lin Xiao said helplessly, "I want to give it to you too, but the doctor said you have to control your blood sugar."

Xi Xi snorted coldly: "Now you're listening to the doctor! The doctor also said... that you should be moderate in that area, have you been moderate?"

Lin Xiao was a little confused.

How can a simple plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes be used to cause such a stir?
Even if he were slow to realize it, he would understand that his wife was taking advantage of him and then ignoring him, deliberately picking a fight.

He chuckled immediately.

"That's quite restrained, only the first time in five months, hehe~"

"you!!"

Xi Xi was furious, but found that she couldn't find any fault with it, since once every five months was indeed a very low frequency.

After all, the doctor only said to be moderate, not that you can't have sex.

That's why she half-heartedly gave in just now... Well, in a way, it was her initiative!
"What are you laughing at!" Xi Xi said fiercely, not letting up even when she was wrong.

Lin Xiao was laughing just a moment ago, but he stopped laughing in a second.

"Didn't you say you were fast?" Xixi said irritably, feeling her heart still pounding!
"Uh……"

"Half an hour, and you call that fast?"

"Honey, you even timed it? That's so meticulous!"

"That's... be serious!"

Xixi almost got dragged into a ditch.

Lin Xiao immediately snapped back to his usual cheerful self.

Neither of them spoke, and they breathed heavily across the table of delicious food.

After a long while, their eyes met.

Lin Xiao suddenly made a funny face, and Xi Xi burst into laughter in an instant.

Lin Xiao laughed along, and the laughter, as if poisoned, kept rising in the huge living and dining room, completely unstoppable!

After laughing for quite a while, this "wife pretending to be angry" drama finally came to an end.

Xixi wants to watch a movie.

So the two quickly moved to a different spot, bringing their food to the coffee table in the living room, where they sat on cushions and ate while watching the show.

It was past 9 p.m. when we finished watching the movie.

Having not left the house all day, Xixi wanted to go out for a walk and get some fresh air.

Lin Xiao certainly supported it.

After all, I had found some tips online, and taking more walks would make it easier to have a natural birth.

He put the dishes in the kitchen, then helped his wife put on a coat that would protect her from the darkness of the late autumn night before taking her hand and leaving the house.

This time, the two went to a park not far from the residential area.

The park is built around a lake, which covers an area of ​​nearly 4.5 square kilometers. If a lake of this size were in the north, it would be a tourist attraction with an entrance fee, but in the south it is just an ordinary pool of water.

In Ninghai, this is even more common; a walkway was simply built along the lake and opened to the public free of charge.

Lin Xiao was drawn to this house because of its pleasant lake view and the fact that it was quiet despite being in a bustling area, so he decided to buy it immediately.

It's a little past nine o'clock at night.

There were few people on the park trails anymore. The streetlights were dim, and the surroundings were quiet. Occasionally, someone would hurry by while jogging.

This environment allowed Xixi to boldly take off her mask without fear of being recognized.

Of course, she only dared to be so arrogant because she was huddled inside the walkway, with Lin Xiao blocking most of her body.

The two walked hand in hand.

The gentle air, the tranquil lake, and the warm hands made the world seem unbelievably sweet, so much so that neither of them wanted to break the silence.

It took about ten minutes to walk.

"Hey, brother?" Xixi suddenly spoke up.

"Ok?"

"You didn't go to work today, didn't your boss call to urge you?"

"..."

Lin Xiao was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter without any restraint.

Xi Xi looked completely bewildered and stamped her foot, asking, "What are you laughing at?"

Lin Xiao said, "I'm laughing at how cute you are. It's already late, and you're only now thinking about whether my boss is going to nag me. Aren't you a little slow on the uptake?"

Xi Xi was stunned for a moment, then realized that it seemed to be true.

He couldn't help but stick out his tongue awkwardly.

She thought to herself: It's rare for my husband to stay with me, I'm so happy that I'm a little slow on the uptake, it's normal, right?

She quickly forgave herself.

Lin Xiao stopped, reached out and gently pinched the bridge of her nose, and laughed, "Don't worry! I already asked for leave this morning after deciding not to go. Otherwise, would I have been able to stay at home quietly? My phone would have been ringing off the hook!"

Xi Xi nodded, then asked, "So what reason did you give for taking the leave? To stay home with your wife?"

Lin Xiao laughed loudly.

Do you think it's reliable?

"Uh...this seems a bit unreliable..."

I told them I was sick!

"Sick?!"

Xi Xi was surprised.

Lin Xiao, however, didn't take it to heart: "Of course, you have to use a reason that no one can refuse when you ask for leave... silly wife!"

As he spoke, he gave her nose a hard scrape.

"profound!"

Xi Xi cried out in pain and immediately chased after him, hitting him repeatedly.

They continued their walk. "By the way, honey... are you feeling alright?" Lin Xiao suddenly asked.

"No, taking a walk is very relaxing."

"Uh, that's not what I was asking..."

Lin Xiao stammered, scratching his head, and asked, "I mean, the exercise before dinner... it was quite strenuous, were you alright?"

Xixi was caught off guard by this sudden mention, and her cheeks flushed.

Then he rolled his eyes.

"Three hours have passed, and you're only now thinking of asking this? Aren't you a little slow?"

Xi Xi said irritably.

Lin Xiao frowned: Why does this sound so familiar?

So, are you feeling unwell or not?

"Hmm... I won't tell you!" Xixi suddenly became mysterious.

"Ok?"

Lin Xiao's face was serious, and his tone was quite stern, "Speak quickly! I'll be worried!"

When he acts like this, Xixi is guaranteed to surrender, and even if she wants to be coy, she'll immediately become as obedient as a little lamb.

But today she wasn't fooled at all.

"Come on! If you were really worried about me, you should have kept your cool and not done anything naughty. That way, I definitely wouldn't feel uncomfortable!"

"..."

Lin Xiao was hit by a punch and had no words to say, only able to give a silly, awkward laugh.

Seeing him like this, Xi Xi was both amused and annoyed, and reached out to flick his nose.

As it turned out, he was too tall, and it was a bit difficult for me to do this action, so I changed it to pinching his cheeks, pinching and pulling hard on his face.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch!" Lin Xiao cried out in agreement.

"Hmph, serves you right for always bullying me!"

Xi Xi was overjoyed at her success and skipped and hopped forward.

Lin Xiao watched the little rabbit's back from behind, making sure his wife wasn't feeling unwell.

It seems I did pretty well tonight.

Fierce yet restrained, exhilarating yet gentle.

Only then can his wife still have the energy to play around with him and jump around in the night.

He was finally relieved.

"Honey, wait for me!"

Seeing the little rabbit hop into the darkness and disappear from sight, he quickly chased after her, grabbed her hand, and continued their stroll in the night.

……

Lin Xiao woke up early the next morning.

Looking at the light outside the window, holding his wife in his arms, his laziness kicked in again, and he lingered in the embrace of her, unwilling to get up.

After much consideration, I decided that taking another day off wouldn't be a big deal.

She picked up her phone from the bedside table to text Tu Hui to ask for leave, but was stopped by Han Xixi, who had just woken up.

Xi Xi was still half asleep, but reason had already taken over.

With a series of whirlwind kicks, she kicked Lin Xiao up to wash up, then urged him to hurry up and go out.

Lin Xiao had no choice but to obey.

Carrying my wife's lovingly prepared breakfast, we sped along the highway and soon arrived at Chaobai Town.

Instead of going to the town, he drove directly towards Laoyashan, but couldn't get in at all.

It was 8:30 a.m.

At the foot of the mountain, tourists were already thronging the area, and a dense line of vehicles stretched from the cement road in Shangguan Village all the way to the national highway.

Although the town had opened up four open spaces in Shangguan Village as parking lots before National Day, it was still far from enough to meet the surge in visitors.

Lin Xiao had no choice but to park his car on the national highway, change into a red vest, and jog all the way to the foot of the mountain.

Several officials greeted me on the way.

At the foot of the mountain, we ran into Fang Danian, the director of the county's Culture and Tourism Bureau, who was maintaining order. The volunteers wore their vests and hats meticulously.

The booming tourism industry in Chaobai Town has benefited not only the town's officials and residents, but also the county's Culture and Tourism Bureau.

After all, the surge in tourists brings with it a lot of money spent on tickets, food, and accommodation.

These revenues from the cultural and tourism industries will become impressive data and achievements in the work summary of the Bureau of Culture and Tourism after the National Day holiday.

Even for Chaobai Town.

The tourism industry is just one aspect of the town's economy; although it can be mentioned, it won't be given much prominence.

However, for the county's Culture and Tourism Bureau, the rapid leap from 0 to 100 in rural tourism in Chaobai Town is an achievement that can only be described as "unprecedented," and it has met the bureau's KPIs for the past three years.

How could Fang Danian not give his full support? He led all the cadres in the bureau to be stationed at various key tourist spots in Chaobai Town, and his enthusiasm was even higher than that of the town's cadres.

Fang Danian was surprised to see Lin Xiao arrive.

"Didn't you say you were sick? Why didn't you rest at home for a couple more days? Why did you rush here so quickly?"

Director Fang's tone was tinged with resentment.

Lin Xiao had spent a lot of time with him over the past few months and knew that his temperament was similar to Qin Zhenggang's—speaking his mind directly, straightforward and frank, without much beating around the bush.

He really enjoys dealing with this kind of person.

"It's just a slight cough, nothing serious..."

Lin Xiao felt very guilty and even coughed a couple of times as if to make a show of it.

Fang Danian immediately felt a pang of heartache and came over to pat him on the back: "You're just too tired. But then again, it's true, managing such a large industry all by yourself. Look at these tourists, these cars, wow, who could have imagined half a year ago that such a desolate mountain as Laoyashan and such a small town as Chaobai could develop such a booming tourism industry and attract so many people to visit and play..."

As she spoke, her wistful gaze returned to Lin Xiao.

Fang Danian said with admiration and emotion, "Brother, the whole town of Chaobai has benefited from your success... You've worked so hard!!"

The guy looked like he was about to cry.

Lin Xiao was encouraged, but then became even more embarrassed.

He thought to himself, "Brother, I just pretended to be sick to spend the day with my wife. Don't put on such a big show, I really can't handle it!"
Then they laughed and joked for a while, managing to change the subject.

As more and more tourists arrived, the two were busy maintaining order and didn't have time to chat.

We waited until around 10 a.m.

Almost all the tourists who came from afar had gone up the mountain, making the entrance to the scenic area at the foot of the mountain a little easier.

Fang Danian brought over two bottles of water and even twisted them open before handing them to him, acting as if he were taking care of a sick person.

Seeing his brother's attitude, Lin Xiao had no choice but to continue pretending to be sick.

The two found a shady spot under a tree and squatted down.

"Brother, you should be leaving soon, right?" Fang Danian blurted out suddenly.

Lin Xiao was drinking water when he almost choked.

"Huh? Huh?!"

Why are you so surprised!

Fang Danian chuckled, "You've single-handedly managed such a huge business. Now, not only Chaobai Town, but the entire Anyang County, Yizhou City, and even most of Nanzhou Province have benefited from your success! You're a hot commodity now..."

Fang Danian chuckled as he spoke.

His smile was genuine, and his eyes held only envy and blessings, without a trace of sarcasm, jealousy, or resentment.

Lin Xiao could tell that this guy genuinely cared about him.

He was somewhat moved.

The same topic was brought up and discussed in detail by my father-in-law at the dinner table on my mother-in-law's birthday the day before yesterday.

The result almost led to an unpleasant situation.

Lin Xiao couldn't bring himself to say many things to his father-in-law.

But now, facing Lao Fang, he suddenly became willing to talk.

"Brother, if I said I didn't want to leave, wouldn't you think I'm crazy?" Lin Xiao laughed.

This sudden remark startled Fang Danian.

"You don't want to leave? This... why?" Old Fang was genuinely puzzled.

The saying goes, "People strive for higher positions, while water flows downhill."

There are 360 ​​professions, and no matter which one, the goal is to climb up the social ladder. Their job is nothing special.

Lin Xiao has the ability and the opportunity, but he says he's unwilling?

Fang Danian found this hard to understand and subconsciously felt that the child might have really gone mad.

Lin Xiao looked at his older brother's shocked expression, just as he had expected.

"Brother, my wife is pregnant, I'll be a dad next year," he suddenly said.

"Oh my, congratulations, brother!" Fang Danian exclaimed in surprise and immediately offered his blessings.

"Thanks, bro!"

Lin Xiao smiled, his expression softening. "The upgrade in status brings a change in mindset. I was happy working hard before, but now I suddenly realize that I spend too little time with my family, so... Brother, do you understand what I'm saying?"

Fang Danian nodded with a look of sudden realization.

"If you put it that way, I understand... But the current situation is that whether you get transferred back or not is not up to you!"

Fang Danian looked troubled and worried.

Lin Xiao laughed: "That's not necessarily true!"

Fang Danian was taken aback and looked at him suspiciously.

"How to say?"

"Brother, how did I get down?" Lin Xiao asked.

"It's from the Seedling Project!"

"Are there any young people sent to the countryside who are transferred back after only one year?"

"Ah, this..."

Fang Danian hesitated for a moment, then suddenly understood.

He slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "That's right! Whether it's college graduate village officials or selected graduates, once they're assigned to a position, they usually stay for at least two years. Very few stay at the grassroots level for just one year before being transferred back."

Fang Danian's expression brightened, but the sky quickly cleared up again and became cloudy.

"But brother, your situation is different from most people's!"

Fang Danian hesitated, "I mentioned to you before that I wanted you to come work for my Bureau of Culture and Tourism. But now... I don't even dare to think about it anymore, because you're too influential now, you know?"

Lin Xiao nodded: "Brother, I understand! I'll just ask you one question: if I accept your invitation now, will you still take me in?"

This unexpected question left Fang Danian completely bewildered once again.

He was stunned for a long time.

"Brother, you...you're not kidding me, are you?"

Do you think I'm someone who likes to joke around?

"..."

Fang Danian thought about it and realized that this young man did indeed have a maturity beyond his years.

So much so that he often forgets that he is actually two years younger than his son, and he feels no qualms about calling him "brother" or "buddy."

"Are you serious?" He still couldn't believe it.

"real!"

"No...why?"

Fang Danian's brain cells were already exhausted. "I begged you to come before, but you wouldn't. Now that you have a better opportunity, you've chosen my little temple instead... What do you mean by that?"

Lin Xiao laughed and said, "The reason I didn't go to your place back then was because I was working on the rural tourism development of Chaobai Town. I couldn't just give up halfway, could I? Now, this project is starting to show results. With the popularity of this National Day holiday and the song 'Love Like a Tide' to support it, the subsequent development will be a natural progression and there won't be any major problems."

"During this year in the township, I endured all the hardships and toil that I was supposed to experience, and I have lived up to the expectations and care that the people of Chaobai Township have given me."

These words are sincere and earnest.

It may sound unambitious, but it's the honest truth from the bottom of our hearts; after all, we're just ordinary people.

Fang Danian nodded in agreement.

"But up there..."

"Don't worry about that!"

Fang Danian was momentarily stunned, then his eyes lit up.

Fang Danian was taken aback for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter.

"Brother, are you testing me here?"

"Hey hey hey!"

"As long as you're determined to come, there's nothing I wouldn't accept; I'd be happy to!"

Fang Danian laughed and said, "Since you've thought through the whole story, then I have nothing more to say. I'll go report to my boss as soon as we get back to work after the holiday. Just wait for my reply!"

Lin Xiao grinned, knowing that Fang Danian would definitely pass the test.

As for the rest...

Now we can only take one step at a time.

Anyway, Lin Xiao is determined this time to work hard and spend more time with his wife and children... This is his vision for the coming year.

As for the rest, there's plenty of time!

(End of this chapter)