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

Chen Nuo took a two-week vacation, but Fang Jingxiu still dragged her back to school, ostensibly to "study hard and make progress every day."

The Hongqi H9 smoothly stopped at the street corner, about 200 meters away from the main gate of the Film Academy.

This distance is neither too far nor too close, avoiding the congestion and excessive attention at the school gate during peak hours, while allowing Chen Nuo to walk there easily.

Fang Jingxiu unbuckled his seatbelt, turned to the side, and his gaze fell on the girl in the passenger seat.

The morning light streamed through the car window, gilding her with a soft, pale golden hue. Today, she wore a simple white shirt, the fabric crisp, with one button undone at the collar, revealing a glimpse of her slender collarbone.

She wore light blue slim-fit jeans that hugged her long, straight legs. On her feet were a pair of clean white sneakers. Her long, smooth, black hair cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall, the ends slightly curled, swaying gently as she packed her bag. She wore no heavy makeup, only a thin layer of lip balm, her lips glowing with a natural, rosy sheen.

Despite her simple and clean attire, she shone brightly because of her vibrant youth and innate purity.

The white shirt accentuated the girl's perfectly proportioned figure as she grew up, with a slender waist and the curves of her chest subtly revealed beneath the simple fabric, exuding an unconscious yet astonishing allure.

Sunlight danced on her thick eyelashes and the tip of her pert nose, making her look like a freshly washed peach, plump, tender, and exuding an alluring sweet fragrance.

Fang Jingxiu watched quietly, feeling a slight tingling sensation and a subtle soreness in a corner of his heart, as if something had gently bumped into him.

He knew she was beautiful; he always had.

But at this moment, watching her shed her sickly appearance and put on that simple yet incredibly striking student outfit again, preparing to return to that campus environment full of youthful energy and endless possibilities, a sense of crisis, mixed with pride, possessiveness, and... an indescribable feeling, quietly began to grow.

He was jealous.

The thought of the energetic and potentially equally talented boys around her age on campus, how they would follow her with such fervent gazes and how they would try to get close to her, stirred a nameless fire within him.

But he would never say it aloud, much less restrict what she wore or how she dressed in the name of love.

Love is appreciation, respect, and letting her grow freely according to her own heart, to shine with her own brilliance, rather than pruning her into a shape that suits your own sense of security.

She likes this outfit and feels comfortable and at ease, so that's good.

His insecurity should be dealt with by himself, rather than being transformed into a constraint on her.

"Be careful at school," Fang Jingxiu said, his voice as steady and deep as ever, devoid of any extra emotion. "Although the wound on your neck has healed, the internal tissues are still recovering. In physical education classes and regular rehearsals, you are strictly prohibited from any strenuous movements that may involve your neck, such as violent head shaking or rolling. I have already spoken to your department head and counselor, and they will take special care of you. You don't need to force yourself."

Chen Nuo nodded, feeling a warm glow in her heart.

He always did this, arranging everything in advance so that she wouldn't have to worry about anything.

"Okay, Xiu-ge."

Her fingers unconsciously twirled the ring on the ring finger of her left hand, the pinky ring that Fang Jingxiu had given her to represent his breaking his promise to remain single.

The ring was a little loose on her slender fingers, loosely encircling the base of her finger, and occasionally slipping down to her knuckles as she turned, reflecting a subtle silver gleam in the sunlight.

Fang Jingxiu's gaze was drawn to the faint light on her fingers, and his eyes darkened.

He recalled that before they were officially together, Secretary Qin had half-jokingly mentioned that Chen Nuo was very popular at school, with a line of boys pursuing her stretching from the dormitory to the school gate, many of whom were exceptionally talented and came from well-off families. Back then, he could still view it with the detachment of an outsider, but now…

He reached out and gently pinched the hand she was turning the ring with his fingertips, drawing her fingers into his large, warm palm.

His thumb gently caressed the pinky ring, the movement slow yet with an undeniable force, slowly pushing it back into the deepest part of her ring finger, securing it firmly in place.

"My pinky ring," he looked up at her, his eyes deep, his tone flat but his words clear, "you must wear it securely."

Chen Nuo was taken aback by his sudden actions and words, but then she saw the undercurrent of restrained possessiveness in his eyes and instantly understood.

She felt a little sweet inside, and also found his serious, jealous look rather cute.

Before she could react, Fang Jingxiu continued in that admonishing tone, adding earnestly, "Also, at school, stay away from those male classmates. Especially those who flatter you and fawn over you."

He paused, as if emphasizing a universal truth, "Men, there aren't many good ones. They talk a good game, but who knows what they're plotting. Never trust them easily, understand?"

Chen Nuo finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.

She leaned forward and quickly kissed the corner of his tightly pursed lips, leaving a light, fleeting kiss with a faint fruity scent of lip balm.

"I know, you jealous king." Her eyes curved into crescents, her voice laced with laughter and a hint of teasing.

Fang Jingxiu was startled by her kiss, and his ears began to burn slightly, but his face remained serious, though the icy look in his eyes softened a little.

He released her hand and gently straightened her not-too-disheveled shirt collar with a natural movement.

"Go ahead. I'll pick you up after class this afternoon if I'm free. If I have a meeting or can't get away, I'll have Secretary Qin come over." He emphasized again.

"Don't wander off on your own, and don't get into any... male classmates' or unfamiliar men's cars." He deliberately emphasized the words "male classmates" and "men," as if they were some kind of monster.

"Remember, no man is good," he concluded, his expression so earnest it was as if he were imparting some profound life lesson.

Chen Nuo suppressed a laugh and nodded repeatedly, "Okay, okay, I'll remember that, Teacher Fang! Men are all big pigs, except for you, alright?"

She picked up her bag, opened the car door, turned back and gave him a bright smile, "I'm off then, Xiu-ge!"

In the sunlight, her smile was bright and full of vitality, her black hair flew in a beautiful arc as she turned, and the hem of her white shirt swayed gently.

In that instant, the pure, innocent, and infinitely promising youthful spirit emanating from her rushed over me, so bright it was almost blinding.

Fang Jingxiu sat in the car, watching her light and cheerful figure disappear into the small crowd of students at the school gate until she could no longer be recognized.

He didn't start the car immediately, but leaned back in his seat, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the steering wheel.

His own face was reflected in the rearview mirror inside the car.

His hair was neatly slicked back, revealing a full forehead and a clearly defined hairline. He wore a well-tailored dark gray suit, his shirt collar buttoned tightly, and a tie with a subtle, understated pattern. The watch on his wrist was expensive, yet understated and discreet.

Everything suggests that this is a mature man who has been away from school for a long time, has established himself in a complex world, and possesses power and resources.

He hadn't been like those boys at the school gate for a long time, dressed in simple T-shirts and jeans, with perhaps messy hair, his face showing the naivety of inexperience and unfounded longing for the future, laughing loudly, chasing and playing, getting excited about the outcome of a ball game, feeling anxious about the results of an exam, or blushing and having his heart pound all day because of a glance from a girl he liked.

That unguarded, youthful spirit brimming with reckless vitality was something he had been missing for a very long time.

It disappeared under the strict discipline of military academies, under the calculated maneuvering of officialdom, and under the heavy pressure of family responsibilities and power struggles.

What he possesses is a composure beyond his years, restrained desires, accurate judgment, and a mask that doesn't reveal his emotions.

These things made him strong, but also... at certain times, he felt a hidden weariness and emptiness that he himself was unwilling to delve into.

Perhaps, what initially attracted me to her at the Waldorf, on campus, besides those deliberate or unintentional strategies, was that deep down I was struck and yearned for by her vibrant, bright, and idealistic youthful spirit.

Her stubborn gaze in the police station on a rainy night, her radiant face when she talked about her dream of making movies, her fearless courage in the face of injustice... all shone like a beam of light into his world, which he had long been accustomed to.

His willingness to nurture and support her, besides love, may also imply a compensatory pursuit of what he lacks.

Through her, we can touch upon and protect that passion and spirit for changing the world that we have long lost or had to hide.

It's human nature to always seek what we lack. When we don't have wealth or power, we strive with all our might to acquire it.

When wealth and power are in hand, the threshold for stability and excitement is constantly raised, and people begin to crave things that are purer, more primal, and more difficult to measure by rules.

For example, youth, unreserved trust, reckless impulse, and that perhaps naive yet incredibly moving belief that I can change the world.

Fang Jingxiu slowly exhaled and started the car.

The red flag silently slipped into the traffic, gradually disappearing from the bustling, youthful campus behind it.

He remains the same Director Fang, a strategist who must navigate countless open and covert attacks.

But in a soft corner of my heart, a bright spot has quietly appeared, a girl who wears a white shirt, jeans, long, straight black hair, and whose eyes sparkle when she smiles.

That was his weakness, and also his armor;

It is the pure land he needs to protect with utmost care, and also a stubborn projection of his uncompromising youth and possibilities in his busy real world.