Guide to Rising to Power as a Wife in Beijing's Elite Circle

At 2 a.m., three lights were still on on the 16th floor of the National Development and Reform Commission building.

The other two lights belong to the general affairs department next door, which is also working overtime to rush materials, and the safety indicator light at the end of the corridor that stays lit all night.

Fang Jingxiu stood by the window of his office, the cigarette between his fingers burning to the end. The burning pain brought him back to his senses, and he shoved the cigarette butt into the ashtray that was already piled up like a small mountain.

Upon closer inspection, there were already seven cigarette butts piled up there. From the end of that exhausting inter-departmental coordination meeting at 8 p.m. until now, six hours have passed and seven cigarettes have been burned.

He rarely smokes this frequently unless the pressure is so great that he needs some kind of self-destructive release.

He needs it now.

On the large desk lay a thick document, the third draft of the "Implementation Plan for Special Verification of the Use of Subsidy Funds by Some New Energy Vehicle Enterprises".

The first two drafts and a large amount of supporting material were scattered around.

The red pen annotations were dense and shocking, mostly from the deputy director in charge of this work. The handwriting was vigorous, but the opinions were vague and full of artistry.

"The data needs to be verified again to avoid false positives."

"The affected companies have reacted strongly, and the impact needs to be carefully assessed."

"The timing is not yet right; it is recommended to postpone the process."

Postponed.

Fang Jingxiu stared at those two words, his eyes as cold as steel that had been tempered.

This plan was the first major move he spearheaded after taking office, targeting three large and complex automotive companies in the industry.

Over the past three years, they have illegally obtained more than 1.2 billion yuan in national financial subsidies through related-party transactions, falsifying technical parameters, and submitting duplicate applications.

The chain of evidence was painstakingly pieced together by him and his core team over several months, amidst open and covert attacks from all sides. The data was solid and the logic was clear.

Logically, procedurally, and in accordance with the central government's repeated emphasis on strict financial discipline, this plan should have been approved long ago, prompting a swift and thorough investigation.

However, it circulated within the committee for two whole months, from the division to the bureau and departments. Everyone was reading it, studying it carefully, signing it, and then attaching similar suggestions before further deliberation, improvement, and communication.

What needs to be improved?

What are we communicating about?

The goal is simply to dull the sharp edge of the blade, drag out the clear timeline into an indefinite period, ultimately perfect it to the point of being abandoned, and communicate until the interests are rebalanced and the matter is covered up.

He was all too aware of the power struggle behind it.

Which of those three companies doesn't have deeply entrenched local interests and the looming shadow of Jingjing behind it? Touching their interests is like stirring up a huge hornet's nest.

Behind each of those comments suggesting a postponement, there might be a concerned phone call from a former leader, a high-ranking local official, or even a related ministry.

This is the tacitly accepted buffer mechanism in officialdom: using procedures and research to resolve conflicts, and using time to buy space, either until the parties involved back down or until external conditions change.

But Fang Jingxiu did not want to back out.

This is not only about his prestige as a new official, but also about the stubbornness he still harbors regarding rules and justice, which has not yet been completely eroded.

If even clear-cut violations can be suspended, then what is the point of him being in this position?

He picked up his phone and glanced at WeChat.

The pinned chat was from Chen Nuo, and the last message was sent at 10 PM: "Brother Xiu, remember to eat dinner!!"

Following him is an emoji of a little rabbit hugging a carrot, full of life, which is completely out of place with the cold battlefield he is in.

Fang Jingxiu's fingers hovered over the screen, his icy fingertips almost able to feel the warmth and concern she felt as she typed those words on the other side of the screen.

Just as I was about to reply, my phone vibrated, and the caller ID showed "Father".

Fang Jingxiu closed his eyes briefly, suppressing the dryness in his throat and the tightness in his chest, and answered, "Dad."

"Still in the office?" Fang Zhenguo's voice came through the radio, revealing little emotion, but the background was extremely quiet, suggesting he was also in the study. "Your mother said you haven't been home for a week, and you get back from the apartment in the middle of the night."

"The project is stuck, and we're revising the plan," Fang Jingxiu said succinctly.

"That special investigation into the subsidy policy?" Mr. Fang paused, his tone still calm, but his next words carried immense weight.

"Yesterday afternoon during tea, Liu Yang's dad mentioned it to me, asking if I was a bit too energetic since I've just taken office, and whether some things... could be slowed down and handled more carefully."

The words were spoken in an extremely tactful and subtle way, like a casual chat between old friends.

But Fang Jingxiu understood.

Liu Yang's father held a very important position before he retired, and his influence still lingers.

His personal delivery of the message carries significant weight.

This is more than just concern; it's a clear signal: as long as Fang Jingxiu is willing to be flexible in the pace of the investigation, willing to encounter Liu Sihua in some non-work settings and behave appropriately, and willing to let the Liu family see a real possibility of a marriage alliance...

Then, Old Master Liu might be happy to do a small favor. This plan, which has been stuck for two months, could probably be completed within three days and put on the agenda for the director's office meeting.

It's just a matter of a word.

One compromise, one exchange.

Or, like now, Fang Jingxiu continues to shoulder the burden alone. He drinks with the leaders of key departments until his stomach churns, argues with the technical team until dawn to ensure the accuracy of a piece of data, and wears out his lips trying to gain the support of a department. In the most clumsy, strenuous, but also cleanest way, he trudges forward step by step through the unseen mud with bloody footprints.

"Dad," Fang Jingxiu said, his voice hoarse from talking and smoking for a long time, "this plan has solid evidence, complies with procedures, involves a huge amount of money, and has a terrible impact. It must be completed according to the rules, with investigations and prosecutions pursued as necessary."

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

Fang Jingxiu could faintly hear the sound of his father's fingers gently tapping on the wooden tabletop, a habit he had when he was thinking.

After a long time, so long that Fang Jingxiu thought the signal had been lost, Fang Zhenguo finally spoke slowly: "Jingxiu, do you know what I admire most about you all these years?"

"What?"

"It's backbone. It's that kind of unyielding spirit, that unwillingness to easily bend over or follow the crowd." Fang Zhenguo chuckled softly, but there was little satisfaction in his laughter; instead, it was filled with a complex, seasoned sigh.

"But you must remember, in officialdom, sometimes, backbone is the most useless, even the most dangerous thing. A tree that stands out in the forest will be felled by the wind. Extreme rigidity is easily broken. Many times, taking a step back may seem like losing an inch of ground, but in reality, it is to accumulate strength, see the situation clearly, and wait for a better opportunity... take three steps forward."

"I know," Fang Jingxiu said calmly.

"Then why..."

"But this step I'm taking," Fang Jingxiu interrupted his father, his tone not agitated, but rather clear and resolute after extreme exhaustion, "must be a choice I willingly make after careful consideration of the situation. It can't be a bargaining chip, it can't be a product of compromise. Dad, some lines, once withdrawn, can never be retrieved."

Silence fell again on both ends of the phone.

This time, Fang Zhenguo did not try to persuade him again.

He remained silent for a moment, then said, "Get some rest and take care of yourself."

Then he hung up the phone.

Fang Jingxiu listened to the busy tone and slowly put down his phone. The office was once again enveloped in silence, with only the low hum of the central air conditioning vents.

He sat back down at the table, opened the plan, picked up a red pen, and stared at the glaring annotations suggesting a postponement, his eyes sharp as knives.

At 3:47 a.m., he began writing the eighteenth revision note. The pen tip scratched across the paper, making a soft, rustling sound, the only battle cry in the silent night.

At the same time, in another corner of Jingjing.

Qin Yang, embracing his soft and fragrant wife, was fast asleep in the warm and comfortable bed.

After three years of marriage, this decisive and meticulous chief steward who served Fang Jingxiu could only truly relax and revert to being an ordinary man who was a little afraid of his wife and liked to stay in bed when he returned home, took off his sharp suit.

Suddenly, the piercing ringtone of a cell phone rang out, creating a particularly startling sound in the quiet bedroom.

Qin Yang was jolted awake, his heart nearly leaping out of his throat, and his hand instinctively reached for his phone under the pillow.

His wife was also woken up, grumbled in dissatisfaction, and snuggled closer to him.

Qin Yang squinted to see the caller ID.

Chen Nuo.

He instantly became much more alert, his heart skipped a beat. So late? Had something happened?

He quickly answered the call, lowering his voice: "Ms. Chen Nuo?"

Chen Nuo's voice, deliberately soft but clearly carrying the chill of the night, came from the other end of the phone: "Secretary Qin, I'm sorry to bother you so late. I... I'm downstairs at the National Development and Reform Commission building right now."

"...What?!" Qin Yang's voice suddenly rose, all sleepiness gone, startling his wife into opening her eyes as well.

"Downstairs? Now? Around 3 a.m.?!" He sat up abruptly, the thin blanket slipped off, revealing his muscular upper body.

"Hmm... I couldn't sleep. I noticed that Brother Xiu hadn't come for several days and his replies to my messages were brief, so I was a little worried. I asked the driver and found out he was still in his office... so I had the family driver bring me here. I didn't tell you beforehand because I was afraid you'd tell Brother Xiu and he wouldn't let me come." Chen Nuo's voice was a little cautious, and a little stubborn.

Qin Yang felt a surge of heat rush to his head, and he almost crushed his phone.

While he was enjoying the company of a beautiful woman, his director was struggling with a proposal that seemed like gibberish in his office, and then that little devil of the director actually came over in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?!

Did these two plan to torment him?!

"Ms. Chen, please...please stay in the car and don't move! Don't get out! It's chilly at night, and your wound hasn't fully healed yet! I'll be right there!" Qin Yang quickly finished speaking and hung up the phone, then threw off the covers and was about to get out of bed.

"Qin Yang!" His wife was also completely awakened by the commotion. She sat up, the strap of her silk nightgown slipping to one side, revealing her rounded shoulder, but she didn't care about that at the moment. Her eyebrows furrowed, "Where are you going? Who called in the middle of the night? Was it some little vixen?!"

Qin Yang was frantically groping for his pants when he heard this. He was on the verge of tears. Looking back at his wife's beautiful face, which was angry, aggrieved, and a little panicked, a surge of anger mixed with helplessness rushed to the top of his head.

"Wife! I'm fucking...I'm so wronged!" He hopped on one foot to pull up his pants, muttering through gritted teeth, "Where did this little vixen come from! It's Miss Chen! The one I told you about, Director Fang's precious little princess! She's sick! Absolutely sick! Staying up all night instead of sleeping! She's squatting downstairs at the office! My God! These two...one's addicted to paperwork! The other's obsessed with sending well wishes from afar! They're both sick! Sick! They're practically two idiots!"

He quickly put on a shirt, buttoning two buttons incorrectly, then rushed into the bathroom, hastily wiped his face, grabbed his car keys and coat, and ran out.

His wife sat on the bed, stunned for a few seconds, digesting her husband's barrage of complaints. The anger on her face was gradually replaced by a sense of absurdity that made her both laugh and cry.

Of course she knew Fang Jingxiu and Chen Nuo; Qin Yang had mentioned them a lot at home.

I never expected that this seemingly sophisticated and enigmatic duo could be so... troublesome in private?

"Drive carefully! Be careful on the road at night!" she shouted at Qin Yang's back, shook her head, and shrank back into the quilt, but couldn't help but smile.

This man of mine, so full of resentment yet running faster than anyone else... Oh well, what can I do when he's stuck with such a boss and his wife?

Qin Yang sped along, mentally cursing Fang Jingxiu and Chen Nuo a hundred times over.

When his car glided to the vicinity of the National Development and Reform Commission building, he indeed saw the familiar Audi A8 with a low-key license plate parked in a hidden corner.

He parked his car, jogged over, and knocked on the car window.

The car window rolled down, revealing Chen Nuo's somewhat pale face, but his eyes shone brightly in the dim light, and he was holding a thermos in his arms.

"Secretary Qin, thank you for your help." She smiled apologetically.

Qin Yang looked at her wearing a thick down jacket and scarf, fully armed but still unable to hide her thinness, and then saw the thermos she was holding. All the complaints he had were suddenly choked up, leaving only helplessness and a trace of... indescribable emotion.

"Oh, Miss Chen Nuo, you really are... The director is on the sixteenth floor, I'll take you up. However, he might still be busy, you..." Qin Yang sighed and opened the car door.

"I'll just look at him, I don't need to say anything," Chen Nuo said softly, getting out of the car with the thermos in her arms.

The National Development and Reform Commission building was heavily guarded late at night.

Qin Yang showed his identification and made a phone call to confirm before leading Chen Nuo inside. The elevator ascended, the numbers constantly changing.

Chen Nuo stood quietly, her fingers unconsciously stroking the handle of the thermos.

We've reached the sixteenth floor.

The corridor was empty and quiet, with only a few lights on. Qin Yang pointed to the lit office at the end and said in a low voice, "That's the one. Miss Chen Nuo, please go there yourself. I... I'll wait outside."

He really didn't want to go in and be a third wheel, and he was even more afraid that seeing his director's workaholic appearance would frighten the patient.

Chen Nuo nodded, holding the thermos, took a deep breath, and walked gently toward the door that was emitting light.

The door was ajar.

Through the crack in the door, she saw Fang Jingxiu's figure bent over his desk, his broad shoulders slightly hunched forward, his profile clearly defined under the lamplight, yet bearing a heavy weariness.

He was staring intently at something, the pen between his fingers hadn't moved for a long time, and the last wisps of smoke were rising from the ashtray.

Her heart softened completely, yet also ached terribly.

She raised her hand and gently knocked on the door.